


Dusk Till Dawn

by AdlerKlasse



Series: Til Kingdom Come [2]
Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Drama, F/F, OT12 appearances + some dc cameos, background lipsoul, enemies/strangers to friends/lovers, more like a long engagement but anyways, side chuuves, slowburn, yyy bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:15:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 28,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27906577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdlerKlasse/pseuds/AdlerKlasse
Summary: “I don’t know how I got here.”“That’s okay. I’m just glad that you did.”A story of a knight, told in four parts.
Relationships: Park Chaewon | Go Won/Son Hyejoo | Olivia Hye
Series: Til Kingdom Come [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2043460
Comments: 51
Kudos: 317





	1. The Setting Sun

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is written under the assumption that the reader has already read [Til Kingdom Come](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26070382). Thus, some major events will be glossed over/skipped over. If you have not read Til Kingdom Come, it is very strongly recommended that you read that first to avoid confusion down the line. It’s not as critical for this first chapter, but the following chapters will rely more on that prior knowledge.
> 
> Warning: there will be mentions/depictions of violence, death, and blood per the time period and setting. It’s nothing particularly graphic, but if you are not okay with that kind of content, please turn back.

Hyejoo is eight when she first holds a sword.

It’s her brother’s, an ornamental blade gifted to him for being appointed the position of Royal Guard for the House of Ha. Not intended to be used in combat, it nonetheless carries a weight that Hyejoo doesn’t fully understand even as she holds it up to the sun with awe in her eyes and aspirations in her heart. The dark rubies embedded along the hilt gleam under the light, though it’s the largest jewel that sits at the pommel that catches Hyejoo’s attention.

Is that a crack?

Hyejoo squints and tilts the sword to get a better look. As children are prone to do, however, she loses balance and finds herself stumbling as she tries to balance the heavy weapon in her grip.

A hand reaches out to steady her.

“Whoa there,” her brother laughs. “Looks like you still have a long way to go before you catch up to me.”

“But I will,” Hyejoo insists with all the stubbornness of a youth naive to reality. “Just give me a few years, and I’ll be a knight like you.”

“I think it’ll take a little longer than that,” her brother says kindly. “But I do look forward to the day when we can serve the House of Ha together, like Father and Uncle once did.”

Hyejoo’s eyes shine.

“We’ll be the greatest pair the duke has ever seen!” she proclaims, her imagination already beginning to run wild with fantasies of the future.

That dream never comes true, for her brother is executed five years later for treason.

Their mother is never the same after that. She becomes inconsolable with grief and indignation, wailing day in and day out about the sheer injustice of what transpired. 

“My son would never!” she cries at the gates of the Ha castle. “My husband and brother both died for the duke. How could my son possibly murder him!?”

The truth falls on deaf ears, as none are willing to challenge the version of events told by the eldest Ha daughter. As the new duchess stated, it was half of the Royal Guard who turned their blades on their liege and the other half who allowed it to happen through their negligence and incompetence. The entire guard is purged, and their families are stripped of all power and prestige that once came from that title. 

Hyejoo isn’t left unscathed, her pagehood revoked a year before she was due to become a squire. In exchange for their lives, she and her mother are forced to give up the family lands granted to her great-grandfather. They relocate to a small, derelict cottage with nothing but a small bundle of the cheap possessions they were permitted to keep.

“Hyejoo,” her mother weeps. “How could this have happened to us?”

Hyejoo can only come up with one answer: such is life north of the Cygnus River. 

She can still remember how her father once spoke with pride of the former duke. He exalted his ruler for the stability he granted to his domains and lauded how the Ha duchy was free from the machinations that often plagued other lands. While other lords and ladies plotted against their neighbors and used their armies as tools to fulfil their thirst for conquest, Duke Ha governed peacefully and wisely, avoiding chaos and bloodshed. 

Unfortunately, he never discovered the rot infesting his own house and destroying it from the inside out until it was too late. 

Hyejoo often tells herself that her family’s fate was just collateral damage in this game the nobility love to play. From the start, they were mere pawns, free to be sacrificed or discarded as necessary for their masters. Hyejoo constantly reminds herself of this brutal fact, for it’s the only way she can really cope with the rage that lurks within her. Facing the cruelty of reality is a good way to stymie the hunger for vengeance, or so Hyejoo convinces herself as she focuses her energies on living a quiet, humble existence with her mother. 

Once again, her hopes are crushed, this time within a year. 

Whereas Hyejoo bottled up her fury and tossed it up a mountain to be abandoned and untouched, others aren’t so keen to forgive and forget. Perhaps it’s karma in some way, for several banished servants of the House of Ha conspire with foreign nations to commit actual treason this time. They work against the duchess in hopes of disrupting her upcoming marriage to a count she was rumored to be enamored with.

The ploy ends with death. 

The count abruptly keels over during a banquet, clutching his chest with foam frothing at his mouth. It doesn’t take long for the court physicians to declare that the man was poisoned, and it takes even less time for the furious duchess to demand the heads of anyone potentially involved. For all the blood that runs in the next few weeks though, the count’s family is not appeased. They refuse to be, using the count’s death as a pretext to march upon the Ha lands.

Hyejoo is fourteen when she first takes someone’s life.

She doesn’t have much choice when leather-clad infantry storm into her village, trampling through the local market and setting buildings ablaze as they rampage through the countryside. Hyejoo barely has time to shove her mother inside their hut when a soldier charges up to them, spear at the ready.

“Sorry, kid,” he sneers, and then he thrusts his weapon right at Hyejoo’s heart.

Hyejoo ducks. Her mother screams when the spear embeds itself into the door, but Hyejoo is more preoccupied with lunging at her attacker. He’s knocked back onto the ground with a grunt, but Hyejoo gives him no chance to stand back up. She pulls his helm over his eyes before yanking his own spear out of the wood.

“Wait, no!” the man squeals as he scrabbles backwards on the dirt. He fumbles with his helmet while begging for his life. “Mercy, please! Mercy!”

His desperation attracts the rest of his squad, and Hyejoo hears angered shouts as more men make their way towards her. Her hands begin to shake in anticipation of what may very well occur in a matter of minutes, her own mortality becoming glaringly obvious in the face of the facts.

A wave of calm suddenly washes over Hyejoo.

If this is to be the end, then so be it.

Hyejoo plunges the spear downwards.

She raises it again just in time to block a strike from one of the invaders, the strength of his blow sending her a step back. Using the momentum of that inadvertent action, Hyejoo moves backwards to dodge another swing before jabbing her spear at her opponent’s thigh. He howls in pain, sinking to his knees, but another member of his squad prevents Hyejoo from finishing him off. 

One foe soon becomes two, which turns into three, and even though Hyejoo takes another soldier down, she eventually finds herself trapped against a wall due to the overwhelming odds. Blood drips down her arm from the multiple cuts she’s received, and specks of red trickle onto dead grass like grains of sand falling in an hourglass. 

Briefly, Hyejoo wonders if this is what her brother felt in his last moments: numb, cold, and empty.

Someone on horseback appears out of nowhere. Their sword reflects the flames devouring the village as they raise it above their head before bringing it down on one of Hyejoo’s assailants. They crumple without a word, and their surprised colleague is just as easily dispatched.

The rider dismounts and removes their helmet.

“You’ve fought well,” says Lady Ha Sooyoung, second in line to the throne of the Ha dukedom. Her serene countenance is a sharp contrast to the carnage surrounding her, and she pays no heed to her own troops sweeping in to eliminate their enemies. Instead, she focuses her attention on the young and battered teenager before her. “You’re Son Hyejoo, aren’t you? Your brother was once a friend of mine.”

Hyejoo says nothing.

Sooyoung tilts her head.

“You’re strong,” she comments, eyes flickering over the bodies at their feet. “I can see why your brother used to praise you so.”

Hyejoo still doesn’t respond.

Sooyoung sighs and runs a hand through her hair. She frowns, but her gaze isn’t critical as she continues to regard Hyejoo with something bordering on sympathy. After several long minutes, she finally comes to a decision and suddenly kneels before Hyejoo. 

“Help me,” Sooyoung says quietly, her solemn appeal making her seem older than her eighteen years. “I need someone who bears no loyalty to my sister, someone who cannot be swayed by fear or greed. More importantly, I need strength. I need your strength to save our country.”

Another mounted warrior rides up to Sooyoung before Hyejoo can answer. It’s a captain, judging by her decorated armor, and she merely watches the exchange with vigilance while Sooyoung remains on her knees. 

“Lend me your strength, Son Hyejoo,” Sooyoung beseeches her. “I’m tired of all this,” she says, gesturing at the ruins around them. “I’m tired of all the death. Aren’t you?”

Hyejoo lifts her spear, unbidden outrage boiling forth at the question. She has half a mind to snap at the older girl, to point out how hypocritical it is to say you’re tired of death while being accessory to so much of it. Another part of her just wants to impale Sooyoung right on the spot. An eye for an eye, and a sister for a brother, right?

Sooyoung’s captain shuts down the latter idea. She steers her horse between Sooyoung and Hyejoo, her own sword drawn. 

“Stand down, Yubin,” Sooyoung orders wearily as she rises to her feet. “She has every right to hate me.”

Yubin scoffs. 

“And yet you asked her anyway?”

“I need a blade that can defeat my sister. Even if that blade will turn on me in the end.”

Something in Sooyoung’s words resonates within Hyejoo. Perhaps it’s the calculated sincerity, the way Sooyoung has laid out her intentions in their barest form while dangling the acknowledgement that they may backfire on her. Perhaps it’s the quiet plea in her eyes, that ember of hope that she’s entrusting to Hyejoo. Or perhaps it’s what she’s offering that beckons to Hyejoo so, that promise of purpose.

Either way, Hyejoo finds herself lowering her spear, and hours later, she joins Lady Sooyoung’s entourage as they leave behind what remains of Hyejoo’s village. Her mother sees her off before she goes, and while she doesn’t say much, it’s clear that she’s imparting her wishes of retribution when she passes on the last keepsake of Hyejoo’s brother.

A shattered ruby.

Hyejoo is careful in hiding that fragment of the past as she reenters the Ha’s castle after so many months. It’s easy to tell how this place has changed, dark, sullen looks occupying the faces of nearly every inhabitant. The halls are dreadfully hushed, and the only thing keeping them from being dead silent is the endless marching of patrolling soldiers.

Hyejoo soon joins their ranks under the pretext of training to become a part of Sooyoung’s personal guard. She spends her days drilling alongside men and women older than her, and the rest of her time is taken up by Sooyoung, who insists on personally educating Hyejoo about all the ongoing politics relevant to the duchy. It’s mind-numbingly boring information, but Hyejoo does her best to commit it all to memory knowing what’s at stake. At least she’s allowed to partake in consuming the snacks and delicacies delivered to Sooyoung during these tutoring sessions.

Days pass, and the moon continues its never ending cycle of waxing and waning. Eventually, the infamous winter the north is known for announces its presence through frigid winds that gust throughout the land, bringing with them sickness and disease.

Hyejoo’s mother is one of the casualties.

“Take some time off,” Sooyoung suggests gently when they receive the news. “Go home.”

“I have no home,” Hyejoo says.

She tries to throw herself into her work after that, but Sooyoung doesn’t let her. Her hours in the training grounds are often interrupted by random, whimsical summons that force her to lay down her arms for the time being. After the first few times it happens, Hyejoo doesn’t hesitate in making her vexation known. She says several choice words to Sooyoung regarding her bloodline, harsh and unfair accusations she immediately regrets upon seeing Sooyoung’s resigned acceptance. 

“It’s okay,” Sooyoung smiles as she carefully takes Hyejoo’s shaking hands in her own. “I know you’re carrying a lot inside you. It’s okay to let it out.”

Hyejoo doesn’t cry that day, but something inside her does fall away. Like a splinter or a shard, it casts itself into the distance, and Hyejoo doesn’t think she’ll ever see it again.

A year passes, then two. 

Hyejoo and Sooyoung continue to bide their time, Sooyoung gathering influence behind the scenes while Hyejoo relentlessly hones her strengths. An unexpected boon comes in the form of the duchess’s own Guard Captain taking an interest in Hyejoo, and she’s quick to use that to her advantage. She begins training under him, learning the idiosyncrasies of the Royal Guard and how to best exploit them. 

Several opportunities arise for Hyejoo to simply assassinate the duchess and be done with all this, but she stays her hand. 

“Soon,” Sooyoung promises. “Soon.”

Hyejoo is almost seventeen when that fateful day arrives at long last. 

A messenger bursts into the dining room where Hyejoo stands at attention behind Sooyoung. 

“We’re under attack!” the man yells. “General Choi has betrayed–”

He’s interrupted by a sword in his back, and the general’s troops pour into the hall. 

Sooyoung and her sister are quickly ushered away, the Royal Guard flanking them as they flee out a side door. Hyejoo, on the other hand, makes her way towards the entrance of the castle, one target in her mind. A long forgotten calm descends upon her as she cuts her way through the soldiers that impede her path. It empowers her, leaving her mind crystal clear as she swings her sword left and right. 

She finds the general locked in combat with Captain Yubin right in front of the massive double doors leading outside. Clangs and shouts surround them, other combatants fighting for their lives, but Hyejoo can’t afford to stop when she sees Yubin struggling against the general. 

Hyejoo immediately leaps into the fray, dodging a wide sweep from the general’s poleaxe. He lets out a bellow when he sees this new challenger, but he doesn’t stop his assault on Sooyoung’s right hand woman. By this point, Yubin’s shield has been reduced to a lump of uneven metal, and Hyejoo can see the exertion in the older woman’s face. Hyejoo tries to draw their nemesis’s attention to her, but her efforts are ineffectual when the general’s movements are far too quick. Every action he takes either bashes Yubin further or forces Hyejoo to dodge, leaving neither any room to retaliate. 

And then Hyejoo gets an idea. 

It’s a gamble, she knows, but it’s their best bet. Grabbing an abandoned sword from the floor, Hyejoo holds both weapons in her hand like a cross. She approaches the rampaging general cautiously like the mad bull he is, and then she waits. 

The general strikes. 

Hyejoo parries his blow at the last second, sparks flying as the metal shaft of his weapon grinds against one of her swords. Twisting her body to get the proper angle, Hyejoo then uses her second blade to catch the head of the axe before readjusting the first one to trap the general’s instrument of destruction.

“What the…” The general gives a rough yank, and Hyejoo stumbles but still holds ground. “Huh, stronger than I thought–”

Yubin drives her sword through the plates of his armor. 

Hyejoo can feel her adversary’s life seep away, his polearm dropping with a clatter as the general slumps over. It rattles on the stone floor next to him for a second, only to be silenced when Hyejoo picks it up. 

“Sooyoung,” she says to Yubin. 

“Sooyoung,” Yubin nods. 

The two of them split up, each with their own designated task for the second half of this plan. Whereas Yubin needs to secure the rest of the castle and rally the troops who have already secretly pledged their loyalty to Sooyoung, Hyejoo goes in search of the lady herself. She still feels eerily calm as she runs down corridors, head strangely empty despite the fact that she is mere minutes from fulfilling what was surely her mother and brother’s final wishes. 

The death of the duchess. 

Hyejoo finds them in the throne room of all places. 

Nobody is there to stop her as she barges inside, and a quick glance around tells her why; most of the Royal Guard have been reduced to corpses alongside the dead bodies of Sooyoung’s own protectors. The two Ha sisters face each other in a standoff, though Sooyoung is outnumbered and alone while the duchess still has her Guard Captain. 

“You!” the duchess screams upon seeing Hyejoo. “Take this traitorous wench’s head at once!”

“That’s rich, coming from the original traitor,” Sooyoung spits back. “Patricide, does that ring any bells?”

“At least I did it on my own,” the duchess hisses. “Unlike you, coward… Tricking that Choi fool into rebelling… You were always scared of getting your hands dirty, weren’t you, wittle Soo-Soo?”

“That bloodthirsty madman was a blight on our lands, and you would know that if you cared about our people,” Sooyoung replies through gritted teeth. “Two birds with one stone, as they say.”

“Too bad your life ends here,” her sister sneers. “Soldier, I told you to kill her!”

Hyejoo steps defensively in front of Sooyoung. 

The duchess lets out another, infuriated scream, and her Guard Captain lashes out at Hyejoo. 

The captain is a master with a sword, Hyejoo knows that. Even armed with the knowledge that he favors his left side due to an old injury, Hyejoo has never been able to defeat him in a one-on-one duel. She’s come close several times during their practices, but at the end of the day, she knows she can’t beat him at his own game. 

But she has a different weapon this time. 

Hyejoo takes advantage of the poleaxe’s significant reach as she engages with the captain. She makes sure her swings are timed well, her strength balanced so she doesn’t leave herself wide open as she keeps him at bay. Dimly aware of the Ha sisters fighting somewhere to her right, Hyejoo finally sees the chance to make a quick jab at the captain’s weak point. She misses that initial thrust, but the edge of her blade catches his side as she pulls the poleaxe back. 

Red. Hyejoo wonders if there will ever be a day where she no longer has to see that color. She doubts it. 

“Damn you,” the captain curses as he clutches his torso. “Damn you all!”

Hyejoo silences him. 

She turns back to the last remaining members of the House of Ha just in time to see Sooyoung bring her sister to her knees. 

“I hope you’re happy,” the duchess wheezes up at Sooyoung. “I hope you’re happy that you’ve won like the snake you are.”

“I’m not,” Sooyoung says quietly. Hyejoo can see her sword tremble as she levels it at her own flesh and blood. “I had to do this. I _have_ to do this.”

Her voice shakes on her last sentence, and it seems to take all her might to raise her sword above her head. Recalling a conversation they once had where Sooyoung had shared childhood memories of happier times, Hyejoo moves forward. 

She brings the poleaxe down one last time. 

“What– Hyejoo–”

“The blade should do the killing.”

“... And are you going to turn on me now?”

Hyejoo kneels before her liege.

“Save our country,” she whispers. 

And Sooyoung does. 

The road to rebuilding is long, though it’s expedited by the groundwork Sooyoung laid before executing her coup. She succeeds in painting General Choi as the instigator of events, and Yubin is promoted as his replacement for her part in slaying him. Although rumors begin to spread of Sooyoung’s role in the chaos, they’re quickly forgotten due to everyone's immense relief at seeing the end of a tyrant and the rise of a much more benevolent and wise leader. Some foreign states are not as fast in acknowledging her right to rule, but they all fall in line soon enough due to the Ha duchy’s surprisingly swift recovery. 

Hyejoo herself remains in Sooyoung’s army, serving as her personal bodyguard. The first few transitional months are rough, and Hyejoo has to fend off more spies and assassins than she’d like. Things soon mellow out, however, and with her hard earned free time, Hyejoo begins to indulge in her newfound penchant for horseback riding. 

“Well, at least someone’s having fun,” Sooyoung pouts one afternoon. “Meanwhile I have to deal with paper after paper after paper after paper after paper…”

Hyejoo feels a little bad for her at first, then not so much when she catches Sooyoung sneaking off every so often at night. Hyejoo doesn’t say anything about this; she just keeps watch as Sooyoung heads into town to meet with some commoner who smiles like the sun and makes Sooyoung laugh like nobody else can. 

Hyejoo learns a few months later that this commoner isn’t a commoner after all. 

Sooyoung decides to host a ball, the first since she seized power. It’s an overly extravagant affair, deliberately so, and Hyejoo doesn’t expect to see many friendly faces when she’s forced to be there as a guest. Her fellow attendees mainly consist of other regional powerhouses along with some aspiring lords and ladies, and Hyejoo feels incredibly out of her element as a ‘mere’ guard. She knows she’s more than that to Sooyoung, but these snooty nobles with their fancy attire don’t, so Hyejoo is fully prepared to ignore everyone while stuffing herself with fancy food. 

And then she sees a familiar figure standing next to the duke of the House of Kim, Sooyoung’s biggest rival and threat. Hyejoo is instantly on guard, regret already filling her at the prospect of having to tell Sooyoung that her female friend can’t be trusted. 

Except Sooyoung personally drags Hyejoo into a meeting with the woman five minutes later. 

“Hyejoo, this is Lady Kim Jiwoo,” Sooyoung introduces with a nauseatingly sweet smile. “Lady Jiwoo, this is Son Hyejoo, one of my most trusted retainers.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Jiwoo says with a polite, socially correct curtsy. She then winks and lowers her voice. “Sooyoung has told me so much about you!”

“Huh– Huh?” Hyejoo blinks. Sooyoung elbows her. “I mean, uh, it’s an honor to meet you, my lady.”

“She personally convinced her father to attend tonight,” Sooyoung murmurs, and Hyejoo nods, well aware of the significance of having the duke present. This is the entire point of the ball after all, a showcase of Duchess Sooyoung’s connections and public recognition of the House of Ha’s prominence. 

“Sooyoung and I share the same dream, you see,” Jiwoo explains softly. “And it’s not a little one.”

Hyejoo lifts an eyebrow. 

Sooyoung clears her throat. She straightens her back, squaring her shoulders, and something begins to burn in her gaze as she turns to Hyejoo. 

There’s that fire again, Hyejoo realizes, that one from oh so long ago, the one that brought Hyejoo onto this road that they’re sharing now. It’s not nearly as unwelcome as it was the first time, and Hyejoo finds herself easily accepting the idea that she’s about to join another life changing ride. 

“We want to unify the north,” Sooyoung says. 

“Tell me where you need me,” Hyejoo answers. 

Thus, a new journey begins. 

Although uniting multiple small countries under a single banner is a more daunting task than deposing the ruler of one, this endeavor is markedly less bitter than their original mission. It probably has to do with the fact that they’re working for the sake of the future this time instead of trying to salvage the past. 

Jiwoo’s presence is an obvious boon, her cheery demeanor brightening even long, drawn out, candle-demolishing midnight planning sessions. She is as sharp as she is optimistic, and her vision for the world they’re trying to create is one filled with peace and hope, a vision Hyejoo strives to achieve. She’s not alone, for Sooyoung also puts in countless hours into turning their dream into reality. Hyejoo thinks Sooyong works even harder with Jiwoo around, and more than once she finds the two whispering together. It’s not hard to see the fondness they hold for each other, the warm intimacy they share as they confide the deeper parts of their hearts.

Hyejoo wonders if she’ll ever find someone like that for herself. 

Probably not.

It’s no surprise when Sooyoung and Jiwoo announce their engagement. On the surface, it appears to be a purely political arrangement since only a small handful of people are privy to how long the pair have truly known each other and the depth of their affections. It’s an advantageous move either way, their marriage signifying the union of two of the most powerful houses on this side of the peninsula. Countless nobles rush to pledge their support, and they’re all just as eager to formally invoke treaties recently signed with the Has and the Kims. This eventually snowballs into a wave of houses linking together in a way they never had before. 

Sooyoung and Jiwoo name the fruits of their labor after paradise. 

The Eden Alliance. 

For her efforts in the establishment of this coalition, Sooyoung is crowned High Queen, a position that grants her the final word in matters. Her queen Jiwoo always reminds the aristocracy that the Alliance is a collaborative effort though, one where participating members are encouraged to engage in diplomacy rather than warfare. 

Unfortunately, holdouts that refuse to join are not so keen on “discussing things like calm, mature adults” and quickly prove to be a thorn in everyone’s sides. 

A confederacy is formed in the east as a direct counter to the Alliance, its leaders decrying Sooyoung as a despot soon to follow in her disgraced sister’s footsteps. They reject all concessions and forms of appeasement, outright tearing up a proposal for a nonaggression pact, and it doesn’t take long for them to launch an attack on a small barony on the edge of their lands. Per the terms of the Alliance, High Queen Sooyoung immediately dispatches General Yubin and Hyejoo as reinforcements for the besieged baroness. 

Jiwoo gifts Hyejoo with a young, black stallion right before she departs.

“His name is Aegis,” she says, patting Hyejoo’s head as she hands over the reins. “Treat him well, and he will keep you safe, I promise.”

“Protect Sooyoung while I’m gone,” Hyejoo implores in return. “This is probably just the beginning.”

Jiwoo gives a sad smile.

“It is, isn’t it?”

It takes several long, hard years until Hyejoo sees Jiwoo and Sooyoung again. 

As predicted, one battle becomes a series of them, which then blows up into a full scale war. The Alliance formally launches a campaign to subjugate the east, and Hyejoo is tasked with leading her own unit when General Yubin is injured and has to direct their troops from a safe distance away from the front lines. Suddenly responsible for more lives than her own, Hyejoo finds herself grateful for all those strategy lessons Sooyoung once forced upon her. They serve her well, combining with her own affinity for combat to bring her victory after victory as the months go on. 

At some point, Jiwoo begins sending Hyejoo letters. They’re simple messages and updates regarding her daily life including charming anecdotes about the youngest foal in the stables or the latest gossip from the kitchens. It’s quite mundane compared to being on a war front, but Hyejoo does appreciate these letters for what they’re meant to be, a breath of fresh air away from all the death. 

Sooyoung also starts to send correspondence after a while. Her first message is rather stilted and awkward, and she makes a point to mention how her queen all but forced her into this. She writes with surprising honesty about how she misses Hyejoo though, a feeling Hyejoo begrudgingly admits is mutual. Sooyoung’s subsequent letters become less and less stiff over time, devolving into outright sappiness in the end, and every single one includes a prayer for Hyejoo’s safety. 

_I await the day you no longer have to be my blade. Until then, may Aegis shield you and bring you back to us._

True to Jiwoo’s promise and Sooyoung’s wish, Hyejoo’s mighty steed does indeed protect her until she’s able to return to their side. By that point, Aegis has carried Hyejoo from one side of the land to the other several times so she can suppress various rebellions and shut down all the upstarts still trying to fracture the young union of states. The Eden Alliance holds strong in the face of all these challenges, and even with the growing pains of a burgeoning country, its constituents remain loyal to each other and to their queens, forcing its detractors to finally concede defeat and accept it as a legitimate authority. 

Hyejoo is summoned to the new capital before the ink on the last peace treaty gets a chance to dry. 

Even partially constructed, Haen Castle is as majestic as Jiwoo described, its magnificence meant to be a testimony to the Alliance’s glory and strength. It’s quite intimidating, actually, and Hyejoo knows she’s not the only soldier feeling woefully inadequate as she rides up to an elaborate gate in her dull and dented armor. She barely has time to marvel at the contrast when a page arrives to usher her away to the throne room.

There they sit, High Queen Sooyoung and Queen Jiwoo.

Time has treated the both of them fairly well, all things considered, the two of them bearing the weight of their crowns like they were born to do so. Maybe they were, Hyejoo thinks, for she doesn’t need to remind herself that Sooyoung and Jiwoo are royalty now; they look every bit the part, regal and reserved, dignified and distant as they look down upon their returned warrior. 

Jiwoo rises from her seat as soon as their last attendant leaves the room. In a flash, she crosses the gap between her and Hyejoo with Sooyoung hot on her heels. 

“Welcome back!” Jiwoo cries as she flings her arms around Hyejoo. She throws her whole body into the action, and Hyejoo almost loses her balance thanks to the force of Jiwoo’s emotions. 

A hand reaches out to steady her. 

“Welcome home,” Sooyoung smiles. 

Hyejoo doesn’t have the heart to point out how a castle she’s never lived in couldn’t possibly be home. 

That feeling of displacement remains even as another winter comes and goes. Try as she might, Hyejoo can’t seem to shake off that peculiar, persistent pressure on her shoulders. Moments with Sooyoung and Jiwoo do stave it off just a bit, but the two are often busy with their neverending obligations as rulers. Hyejoo’s own duties as a soldier are no longer as burdensome during this rare intermission of peace, and so she spends her free time roaming the snowy lands of the capital with Aegis as her only companion. 

“I wish there was more we could do for you,” Sooyoung says during a well-deserved afternoon off. “You’ve done so much for me, for us, for the Alliance…”

Hyejoo shrugs. 

“Is there anything you want?” Jiwoo asks as she feeds her wife with grapes. “Another horse, a fancier halberd, a title, some land, a castle of your own… Just say the word, and Sooyoung and I will handle it.”

Hyejoo shrugs again. 

“I can’t really think of anything,” she says. 

Sooyoung frowns before reaching over the table to pat Hyejoo’s head. 

“Think about it, okay?” she murmurs. “When we say anything, we mean _anything_.”

In the end, Hyejoo settles for requesting a new set of armor. Her old one is worn out and somewhat unsightly despite repairs, and it’s like killing two birds with one stone when Sooyoung stops nagging her about her offer. 

“You’re going to love this,” Jiwoo says excitedly the day Hyejoo is to be presented with her gift. “We had Haen Castle’s best smiths work together to create the most amazing thing ever!”

“Aren’t you exaggerating a bit?” Hyejoo asks. 

It turns out that Jiwoo isn’t. Even Hyejoo is floored and at a loss for words when she sees the black armor that greets her. It’s arranged on a stand like a dark sentinel, its burnished steel both reflecting and consuming the light. A cursory glance is more than enough to reveal the quality of each piece and the immense skill it must have taken to forge the entire set, leaving Hyejoo almost too hesitant to even touch it. Her fingers linger inches away from the helm that stares back at her, that’s meant to be hers. 

“Go on,” Jiwoo encourages. “It’s all yours. I know it’ll serve you well, Ser Hyejoo.”

“Wait, what?” Hyejoo blinks. “I’m not a knight.”

“Not yet,” Sooyoung says as she walks into the room. She’s carrying a sable sword, one that’s clearly meant to be paired with the armor. “You aren’t a knight _yet_. But I think it’s about time. You’ve done so much for me and the Eden Alliance, so it’s only fitting that you be recognized for that.”

“I didn’t do it for the recognition,” Hyejoo mumbles. 

“I know,” Sooyoung nods. “Which makes you even more worthy of becoming the High Queen’s most honored knight.”

“I…”

“Kneel,” Sooyoung says, and although Hyejoo knows this isn’t a command, she sinks to her knees all the same. 

Hyejoo is twenty-one when she is finally knighted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, someone will make her appearance soon enough...
> 
> Please feel free to share your thoughts, I'd love to hear them!
> 
> twitter.com/adlerklasse
> 
> curiouscat.me/adlerklasse


	2. To the Sea

The first time Hyejoo sees her, it’s only a glimpse as fleeting as a falling star on a lonely night.

Hyejoo doesn’t even realize who it is at first when she draws close to the carriage heading the opposite direction of her. It’s a rather plain coach, one that gives no hint of who’s inside. The armored cavalry flanking it provide a better clue with their blue banners, but there’s no heraldry displayed. Glad that her civilian clothes don’t paint her as the threat her armor usually does, Hyejoo surreptitiously slows Aegis to a walk as she comes close enough to simply peer within the carriage and see who the passenger is. 

She looks, and the world stops for a moment as a sliver of a face comes into view. 

It’s gone in a flash, the carriage moving steadily onwards and away before Hyejoo can register a thing. Blinking a few times to clear her mind, Hyejoo shrugs and resumes Aegis’s trot as they proceed along the road leading away from Artioso Hold.

Hyejoo is back mere months later, this time armed to the teeth with a horde of troops behind her. 

Various generals and nobles from all over the north are gathered by her side, all starving for battle like ravenous beasts that have finally learned to hunt in a pack instead of devouring each other. As impatient as they are, they still await Hyejoo’s orders as she commands them with Sooyoung’s authority. Her own experience with war, not to mention the knowledge she gleaned from personally scouting this region, has also earned Hyejoo the Alliance army’s absolute respect and deference.

All it takes is one raise of her hand for the men and women surrounding her to charge. 

Red. So much red.

Hyejoo finds herself outside of Artioso Hold within a day, the Jung-Kim Kingdom’s initial line of defense crumpling under the sheer speed and force of the Eden Alliance’s vanguard. It’s clear they were unprepared for such an abrupt invasion of this scale, and Hyejoo doesn’t blame whoever’s in charge for pulling everyone back inside the castle in favor of holding out for reinforcements. Pushing back against the Alliance would be like trying to fight a storm, foolish and futile, and Hyejoo silently commends the Hold’s leader for prioritizing lives over some risky gamble that is sure to fail.

Avoiding a pitched battle also helps the Alliance conserve their numbers, and they quickly use the extra time they’ve gained during the Kingdom’s retreat to set up a blockade around Artioso Hold. Not a single soul is allowed in or out, Hyejoo soundly defeating the few rash captains that try to break past the siege. The arrival of Sooyoung and Jiwoo’s regiments a few days later signals impending doom for the Hold with an array of catapults, rams, and other engines of war ready to breach the fortress’s walls.

“You have three days to surrender before we commence our attack,” Sooyoung announces to their foes. 

And so they wait.

As the sun rises directly above Artioso Hold on the second day, Hyejoo sits outside the gates clad in full armor like a reaper awaiting its due. Her presence alone is enough to pressure the castle’s inhabitants, and Hyejoo briefly wonders if that was the reason why Jiwoo commissioned her armor to be black. Intentional or not, Hyejoo’s sinister appearance and intimidating reputation seem to be doing the trick; the Jung-Kim soldiers are visibly on edge as they man the walls and keep an eye on the troops gathered below. 

Out of the blue, a figure in white steps out onto the battlements. 

Hyejoo has to shield her eyes from the sun with a gauntlet as she gazes upwards at this newcomer. Something shines from atop their head almost like a halo, and it takes Hyejoo a few seconds of squinting before she realizes that it’s a crown.

So this is her, Hyejoo thinks. 

Princess Chaewon of the Jung-Kim Kingdom. 

Even from afar, Hyejoo can tell that the princess is as fair as the rumors say she is. Merchants and travelers have praised her intellect and decorum as well, though by far her most outstanding trait is said to be her undying loyalty towards her sister and homeland. 

All things considered, Hyejoo doesn’t envy the princess’s position right now as she watches her speak to a Kingdom general. It’s hard for Hyejoo to imagine what the princess must be thinking with her back against the wall and only two options to choose from. Defiance through death or survival at the cost of surrender… Both choices result in massive loss for the Jung-Kim Kingdom, and Hyejoo can’t quite figure out which road to the end Princess Chaewon is going to take. 

Lost in her thoughts, it takes Hyejoo a moment to notice the weight of someone’s gaze upon her shoulders. This sensation isn’t new, Hyejoo already accustomed to being stared at, but something compels Hyejoo to refocus her attention back onto the person observing her from the ramparts. 

Their eyes meet, and time pauses. 

And then Princess Chaewon disappears back inside Artioso Hold.

There’s no word from the castle as the sun begins to set on the final day. 

“There’s still time,” Jiwoo says optimistically. “They have until midnight to surrender.” 

“They’re probably trying to delay for as long as possible,” Sooyoung sighs, her expression grimmer than her wife’s. “Our scouts say Crown Princess Jinsol is almost here.”

“I’ll stop her,” Hyejoo promises as she takes a step back from the war table. “Do you want me to kill her?”

Sooyoung gives a thoughtful hum.

“Well, negotiations will likely be off the table if she’s dead,” she points out. “On the other hand, if talks were to fail anyways or if the Kingdom refuses to even speak to us… eliminating the famed Warrior of the West would be beneficial.”

“Do what you will if you run into her, and we will handle the rest,” Jiwoo ultimately decides. “Just make sure you come back to us, Hyejoo.”

Hyejoo finds her quarry leagues to the east of Artioso Hold. It’s easy to identify Crown Princess Jinsol amongst all the other Kingdom cavaliers thanks to her shining, silver armor and white steed. Her movements also put her a cut above everyone else, the royal fighting with a ferocious grace that rains death upon Hyejoo’s comrades. Hyejoo repays her with every swing of her own halberd, and it’s only a matter of time before the two clash.

Crown Princess Jinsol raises her shield and charges.

Calm. 

Hyejoo is calm as she lands a heavy blow on Jinsol’s shield. She’s calm even when Jinsol’s sword nicks her arm. She remains calm as she makes a targeted strike that knocks the princess off her horse. Indeed, there’s not a single ounce of fear within Hyejoo for it’s exceedingly clear that even Jung Jinsol is no match for her. 

Nobody is.

A loud whistle tears through the air before Hyejoo is able to deal the final blow. Recognizing it as Sooyoung’s signal that the situation has changed, Hyejoo quickly demands that Jinsol order her troops to retreat.

“Expect a messenger soon,” Hyejoo tells her. When Jinsol doesn’t move, Hyejoo presses her blade closer to her throat. “Do it. Now.”

Something burns in Jinsol’s eyes as she regards the knight before her. Hatred? Resentment? Fear? Pity? Hyejoo can’t tell what it is, so she’s relieved when Jinsol finally concedes.

“All units, pull back.”

“To me!” Hyejoo calls to her own side.

The entire Alliance camp is abuzz when Hyejoo returns. Even without all the hushed whispers going around, Hyejoo can tell that something has happened thanks to the odd tension in the air. Artioso Hold stands untouched in the distance, leaving Hyejoo to seek out her queens for answers.

“Have they finally surrendered?” she asks as soon as she sets foot in their tent.

“Not quite,” Sooyoung says with a wry smile.

“Not quite?” Hyejoo frowns. “What does that mean?”

Sooyoung gestures towards the other side of the tent, and reality grinds to a complete halt when Hyejoo sees the person sitting next to Jiwoo.

Princess Chaewon.

So the rumors turned out to be lies in the end, Hyejoo thinks. Up close, Chaewon is even more beautiful than she could have ever imagined, the young woman resembling a fairy straight from one of Sooyoung’s books. Chaewon almost looks fragile in the candlelight, but that sharp glint in her gaze says otherwise.

Chaewon briefly turns away from her conversation with Jiwoo. There’s a moment where she looks at nothing, sees nothing.

Then she looks directly at Hyejoo.

And suddenly Hyejoo can breathe again.

Sooyoung clears her throat excessively loudly.

“Oh, um.” Hyejoo hastily executes a perfect, ninety-degree bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.”

“The pleasure is mine,” Chaewon responds, her voice as soft as the first snowfall of winter. 

“Princess Chaewon has personally surrendered herself as our hostage in exchange for a ceasefire,” Sooyoung explains. “So not a full surrender of Artioso Hold, but an important step forward nonetheless.”

“I hope we can find a peaceful resolution to this conflict, as we discussed earlier,” Chaewon says politely. 

“I’m sure we will!” Jiwoo chimes in brightly. “None of us want further bloodshed.”

“Well, _we_ don’t,” Sooyoung whispers to Hyejoo when the other two return to their prior discussion. “Marquess Baek and her faction are still pushing for us to destroy the Hold.”

“And what do they plan to do with a pile of rubble and rocks?” Hyejoo mutters darkly. “Bloodthirsty scoundrels, the lot of them… They were celebrating when the Kingdom finally gave us an excuse to attack, did you know that?”

“I am aware.” A familiar, calculating look slips onto Sooyoung’s face. “Jiwoo and I are going to have to… take care of them once we’re back home. In the meantime, I need you to personally guard Princess Chaewon until negotiations are over.”

“Wait, what? Me?” Hyejoo points at herself. 

“There’s no one I trust more,” Sooyoung says seriously. “She has surrendered herself into our custody. What do you imagine will happen if her body is found with a knife in the back?”

“... I’ll keep her safe,” Hyejoo vows.

As tasked, Hyejoo leads Chaewon to a private tent where the princess can get some semblance of privacy as she pens a message to her sister. Several soldiers blatantly gape at the pair as they pass, but none dare to approach with Hyejoo right behind her ward.

“I have a question, Ser Knight,” Chaewon says when they’ve reached their destination. She casts a glance over her shoulder, and when Hyejoo nods, she continues, “We received word that my sister was injured in a skirmish shortly before you arrived. Were you…?”

“I was there, yes,” Hyejoo answers, keeping her face impassive despite awkwardness worming its way into her gut. “Your sister is fine, if that’s what you’re wondering. Her injury shouldn’t be too serious.”

“Thank goodness,” Chaewon sighs, and Hyejoo finds herself letting out a small breath of relief as well.

It doesn’t take long for Chaewon to finish writing her letter, Hyejoo keeping watch the entire time. A couple curious Alliance soldiers have the gall to peek through the flap of Chaewon’s tent, but they scurry away upon seeing Hyejoo standing there and blocking their view of the princess. Word must have gotten out quickly since no other visitors show up save for a page here to collect Chaewon’s completed missive.

“Ser Knight,” Chaewon calls out once they're alone again. “Won’t you sit?”

“It’s alright,” Hyejoo says.

Chaewon tilts her head.

“... I’m not going to run away, you know.”

“I know.”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“I’m fine.”

“... Not much of a conversationalist, are you?”

“Not really.”

“Well, good thing you’re a knight and not a jester.”

The corner of Hyejoo’s mouth lifts a little. 

Chaewon gasps. 

“So you _are_ capable of smiling,” she says. 

“What–” Hyejoo immediately scowls. “Of course I am.”

“Looks like you finally remembered how to use more than two words in a sentence too,” Chaewon teases. 

“My mistake,” Hyejoo shoots back sarcastically. 

Her comment earns her a giggle, one that loosens her frown, and Hyejoo soon finds that her posture has relaxed as well. Although she remains vigilant per her duties as a bodyguard, there’s something about this quick exchange that makes Hyejoo want to pay even more attention to the princess before her. 

Hyejoo’s scrutiny pays off when she’s able to notice the moment that Chaewon’s playful demeanor fades into something more reserved and pensive. It doesn’t last very long, outright vanishing into a carefully emotionless mask that Hyejoo has seen far too many times on Sooyoung and Jiwoo especially. 

“Hey, um…” Hyejoo coughs into her hand. “You okay?”

“Hm?”

“You look a little… stressed,” Hyejoo says. The awkwardness is back in full force, but she shoves it away as she waits for a response. 

For a second, it seems as though Chaewon isn’t going to answer, and Hyejoo wouldn’t begrudge her for that. Temporary truce or not, they are still considered enemies, a fact Chaewon evidently hasn’t forgotten due to her next words. 

“I’m a prisoner,” Chaewon states in an even tone. “I am your hostage. I am here because I couldn’t protect my home. Of course I’m stressed.”

Hyejoo exhales slowly. She racks her brains for something to say, something that can relieve the burden on Chaewon even if just for a little bit. Hyejoo doesn’t think pointing out how the odds were stacked against Artioso Hold would be welcome considering how she’s one of the aggressors, and in the end she can only come up with one word. 

“Sorry,” Hyejoo says softly but sincerely. “I’m sorry.”

The rest of the night passes quietly. At some point, several of Hyejoo’s handpicked subordinates arrive to stand guard outside Chaewon’s tent. Hyejoo herself is allowed to remain inside, and so she continues watching over Chaewon as the shorter woman prepares to turn in for the day. 

Hyejoo summons the courage to speak up right before they start putting out the candles.

“... Princess?”

“Yes?”

Lowering her head as a sign of respect, Hyejoo takes a deep breath.

“You’re a hostage because you value the lives of your people more than your own,” she says. “That’s something worth being proud of.”

Chaewon doesn’t reply for the longest time. She merely regards Hyejoo with a borderline blank expression that veils the thoughts and emotions that must be swirling within. 

But then she gives a small smile, and for Hyejoo, that’s more than enough.

* * *

“We’ll set up an arranged marriage between Princess Chaewon and Hyejoo!”

Leave it to Jiwoo to turn Hyejoo’s already turbulent life upside down with just one sentence.

_An arranged marriage between Princess Chaewon and Hyejoo._

Hyejoo can’t get used to the idea no matter how many times she replays those words in her mind. It’s been literal days and she still hasn’t been able to wrap her head around either half of that statement. 

Marriage. To a princess. 

Truth be told, Hyejoo has never considered the prospect of matrimony before in her entire life. How could she when the only ending she’s ever envisioned is one on a battlefield? The notion of settling down with a spouse is foreign to Hyejoo, almost laughably so, though by far the most preposterous part of this whole situation is how she’s to be married to a _princess_. 

Hyejoo. Royalty. 

It just doesn’t click. A random knight from the north with an expunged family background becoming the princess consort of Artioso Hold… Hyejoo’s military career does help things make a little more sense, but she just can’t picture herself with a crown on her head, seated in the throne of a country she’s only ever heard of for most of her life. 

“This is ridiculous,” Hyejoo says to Sooyoung and Jiwoo as the three of them congregate in the guest wing of Artioso Hold. “This is so ridiculous.”

“Yes, you’ve said that like ten times now,” Sooyoung says dryly. 

“Twelve, actually,” Jiwoo corrects. 

“Let’s make it thirteen,” Hyejoo snaps. “This is ridiculous.”

Sooyoung frowns, setting down her tea cup with a click. 

“If you really can’t accept this, then we’ll call it off and figure something out.”

“No, I–” Hyejoo pinches the bridge of her nose, frustration welling up in her with nowhere to go. “Look, I’m not _against_ this. It’s just so damn ridiculous. Me? Marrying Princess Chaewon? In what world…”

“Fourteen,” Jiwoo counts before switching the topic when Hyejoo glares at her. “Anyways, haven’t you two been getting along this past week?”

“Yeah, so?”

“She’s a good match for you,” Jiwoo says earnestly. “She’s smart, kind, able to get more than three words out of you—”

“Oi.”

“—And on a practical level, it’s much better for the Alliance if she’s an ally rather than an enemy,” Jiwoo continues, unbothered. “Marriage is the perfect way to guarantee that.”

“I know, I know. ‘It’s for the greater good.’ You've already told me that like a hundred times. It’s just…” Hyejoo gives a huff and throws her hands up in the air. “I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life in Artioso Hold?”

“It’s much warmer here,” Sooyoung points out. “Haven’t you always hated the cold?”

“That’s not the point!” Hyejoo shouts before finding enough self control to lower her voice. “It just– It feels like– I’ve served you two for so long, and now you’re just going to kick me out of the Alliance?”

Jiwoo’s face falls at the accusation, and she reaches over to grab Hyejoo’s hands.

“Hyejoo, _no_ ,” she pleads. “We’re not trying to kick you out. Sooyoung and I have been thinking about this for a long time and… Maybe it’s better for you if you don’t have to fight for the Alliance anymore.”

“So what,” Hyejoo scoffs. “You don’t need this blade anymore so you’re just going to discard it?”

“We’re not discarding you,” Sooyoung says quietly. “We’re setting you free.”

Hyejoo has no answer to that. She can only sit in silence, trying to process her fate, while Sooyoung and Jiwoo leave the room to resume their discussions with the ruling princesses of the Jung-Kim Kingdom.

Tired of stewing in her own thoughts, Hyejoo also departs the guest wing a few minutes later. She begins wandering around the castle that may very well become partially hers in the near future. It’s a beautiful place, she’s willing to concede as she walks past all the windows and archways letting the sunlight in. 

Warm.

Sooyoung wasn’t wrong about that; Artioso Hold may appear to be a bit lacking compared to the image of decadence that Haen Castle projects, but there’s something about the seaside citadel that Hyejoo finds welcoming. Perhaps it’s the tie to nature it has with all its courtyards and balconies leading to the open air, plus the stream that runs straight through the center of the castle before dropping off into the ocean as a waterfall.

Or perhaps it’s the person who is the heart of the Hold that keeps it so warm.

“Are you lost?”

Right on cue, Hyejoo turns around to see Princess Chaewon addressing her.

“Your Highness.” Hyejoo bows automatically. “Um, shouldn’t you be in the meeting?”

“I ran away,” Chaewon says, scrunching her nose. “Queen Jiwoo and Princess Jungeun are… a lot louder than I’m used to.”

“Ah, yeah,” Hyejoo nods. “Jiwoo– Queen Jiwoo can get really… enthusiastic.”

“You two sound close,” Chaewon comments with a tilt of her head. “You said you’ve worked with her for quite some time, haven’t you?”

“Ye– Yeah,” Hyejoo swallows the pebble in her throat. “About six years now.”

“What about High Queen Sooyoung?”

“Ten. It’s been ten years since I first met her.”

“Ah…”

Chaewon must have noticed the bitterness in Hyejoo’s tone judging from how her voice fades in sympathy. Even so, Hyejoo is unable to stop herself from clenching her fists, and she jumps when there’s a touch to her shoulder. 

“Sorry,” Chaewon apologizes quickly. “I just… I just wanted to say sorry.”

“For what?” Hyejoo frowns. 

“For this whole marriage situation, I guess?” Chaewon shrugs as she brings up the elephant in the room. “I know Jinsol wasn’t happy about moving to Eclipse Palace at first, and I can only imagine what it’s like to have to leave everything behind just like that.”

“It’s for the best,” Hyejoo says stiffly. She ignores the part of her that tells her she’s starting to sound like Sooyoung. “Besides, I should be the one to apologize to you.”

“For…?”

“You’re a princess,” Hyejoo points out. “And I’m just some lowly knight.”

“I think it’s clear by now that you’re not just a knight,” Chaewon states, her words strangely gentle. “You’re more than that, Ser Hyejoo. I’m sure High Queen Sooyoung and Queen Jiwoo would agree.”

“I guess,” Hyejoo mumbles. “Anyways, if you’ll excuse me, Your Highness, I need some fresh air.”

“Wait.”

For some reason, Hyejoo heeds the order and stops. 

“Let me show you around?” Chaewon offers with a small, tentative smile. “Nobody knows this place more than I.”

Hyejoo does consider declining, but only for a second. There’s something reassuring in Chaewon’s eyes like an unspoken promise of sanctuary, a kindness that begs Hyejoo to know that she is safe here. Whether that can be trusted or not, Hyejoo doesn’t know; what she does know is that she already wants to believe in Chaewon, believe in the person she’s going to spend the rest of her life with. 

“You know what? I think you’re right,” Hyejoo admits as the rock in her throat returns. “I am lost.”

“That’s okay,” Chaewon says. “We’ll find the way.”

The two proceed to spend quite a bit of time together in the coming days. When she’s not busy with her administrative work, tied up in meetings (one can only avoid Jinsol’s pout for so long), or catching up with her sister, Chaewon goes out of her way to accompany Hyejoo on further tours around Artioso Hold. Hyejoo figures the princess is sticking true to her word and is trying to help Hyejoo settle in faster, and she appreciates that effort even if the results are mixed. The discrepancy between their attitudes towards the future still stands out, and Hyejoo says as much during one of their strolls. 

“You accepted this all pretty quickly, didn’t you, Princess?”

Chaewon doesn’t bother looking up from where she’s feeding one of the many stray dogs that live on Artioso Hold’s grounds. 

“Us getting married is clearly the best option, isn’t it?” she says. “And as the second in line to the throne, I’ve always been ready to be married off for the sake of my country.”

Hyejoo purses her lips. 

“I guess we’re not so different, huh?” she mutters after some thought. “We’re ready to do whatever it is we’re told to do.”

From this angle, Hyejoo is able to see Chaewon puff out her cheeks, and there’s something amusing about the sight that almost makes Hyejoo forget about their conversation. Chaewon suddenly stands up though, and Hyejoo has to blink a few times to refocus on the topic at hand. 

“I don’t think it’s about doing what we’re told,” Chaewon says. “It’s more about doing what’s right. And for the record, there’s no way I would have agreed to marry you if I didn’t think it was a good idea myself.”

“... Thanks, I guess.”

“You’re welcome,” Chaewon replies with a cheeky grin that’s starting to become an increasingly common sight. “Anyways, now that you’re Jinsol’s future sister-in-law, you are morally obligated to throw Princess Jungeun in her moat if she makes Jinsol cry.”

“Uh, sure, why not?” Hyejoo shrugs. “Wait. Does that mean Princess Jinsol is going to kick me into the ocean if I make you cry?”

“Nope, I’ll toss you in myself.”

A chuckle escapes Hyejoo before she can stop herself. It’s accompanied by Chaewon’s own giggle, and the harmony of their merriment lifts something inside Hyejoo’s heart like a bird taking flight. It’s liberating, exhilarating, and achingly familiar. 

It’s hope. 

Hyejoo carefully cradles that feeling inside her chest when it comes time to say goodbye to Sooyoung and Jiwoo. It keeps her grounded as they go through the formalities of bidding each other farewell, but then the dam on her emotions bursts when Jiwoo is the first to crack and break out into tears. 

“I’m going to miss you so, so much,” she wails as she clings to Hyejoo. “Write to us lots, okay? I’ll come yell at you if you don’t.”

“I won’t then,” Hyejoo says hoarsely. “I won’t write a thing.”

Jiwoo squeezes extra hard before stepping back to let Sooyoung have her turn. 

Hyejoo has to give credit where it’s due: Sooyoung does an impressive job of hiding behind her facade as the High Queen of the Eden Alliance. The redness of her eyes aside, she’s able to maintain that stoic, composed act until she lets out a wet and noisy sniff that completely shatters that image.

“Just hug her already!” Jiwoo sobs as she shoves her wife right into Hyejoo’s arms. 

Unable to hold back any longer, Sooyoung pulls Hyejoo into an embrace that’s even tighter than the one shared with Jiwoo. She presses Hyejoo’s head against her shoulder, and Hyejoo can’t stop the tear that leaks out when she feels a kiss against her hair.

“We’ll meet again soon,” Sooyoung whispers. “I swear it.”

Like the frost that retreats at the advent of spring, the Alliance army soon begins its long march back north. A small contingent of soldiers remain, meant to bolster Artioso Hold’s numbers, but the bulk of the troops brought to the Kingdom are allowed to return to their original country en masse. 

The royal regiment is the last to go, and Hyejoo watches as two horseback riders crest a distant hill. They stop for a moment, and although it’s too far for Hyejoo to actually see, she pretends that they’re giving her a wave. 

She waves back, and just like that, they’re gone.

* * *

Quiet. 

Life in Artioso Hold is quiet, and Hyejoo doesn’t know if she’ll ever get used to it. 

It’s jarring, going from being the High Queen’s elusive left hand rumored to do all her dirty work to being a ghost of Artioso Hold, floating aimlessly through its halls like a lost child trying to find their place in the world.

The rest of the Hold’s denizens have already returned to their regular lives prior to the Alliance’s invasion, the process sped up by their princess’s gentle guidance. Chaewon herself was immediately swamped with a deluge of matters to deal with as soon as Princess Jinsol and Princess Jungeun departed for Eclipse Palace, and Hyejoo has gone from seeing her routinely to almost not at all.

It’s quiet.

The silence is deafening in some ways. Although not upsetting, it’s still unsettling how the absence of something can be so loud and heavy, weighing down on Hyejoo like a constant reminder of what used to be. She tells herself it’s for the better, but Hyejoo can’t help but feel ill at ease as she patrols the ramparts for the nth time today because there’s nothing better to do. 

As usual, the guards protecting Artioso Hold ignore Hyejoo. Their distrustful apathy is more than understandable, and Hyejoo figures the best way to show her respect is to maintain that distance in kind. The other Alliance troops stationed here seem to be faring well with each other's company, but Hyejoo rarely sees them due to being the only person allowed inside the main keep. She doesn’t mind; again, it’s for the better, and Hyejoo knows she doesn’t need to give Chaewon’s advisors a free excuse to accuse her of conspiring to oust the princess with her own men and women. 

She doesn’t want to follow in her brother’s footsteps. 

Hyejoo has been thinking of him quite often as of late for some reason. It’s probably the double combo of nostalgia and ennui getting to her, mixing together and all but forcing Hyejoo to sift through her memories. Sometimes she indulges herself, and other times she wishes she was more politically apt or governmentally adept so she could assist Chaewon with her work instead of drifting around like a leaf caught on the wind. When even extended sessions at the training grounds or long walks with Aegis do nothing to soothe the growing disquiet in her heart, Hyejoo makes up her mind. 

She leaves. 

With nobody but her trusty steed by her side, Hyejoo travels southwards. She reaches the Lunar River in good time, and it doesn’t take much searching for her to find a cadre of bandits preying on the uncertainty and vulnerability of the Kingdom-Empire border.

Hyejoo pulls out her halberd and charges.

Screams of terror fill the air as the so-called Demon of the North descends upon the rogues trying to rob a merchant caravan. Half the screams are from the merchants themselves, but Hyejoo pays them no mind as she sets about with her self-assigned task of clearing the roads of these outlaws. It doesn’t take much effort on her end, and within a matter of minutes, all the bandits are either unconscious or cowering on the ground before her.

“M– Mercy, please!” their ringleader begs. “Please, we’ll return everything we stole, I swear! Just let us live, please…”

The man lets out a shriek when Hyejoo moves her halberd, and she suppresses a snort when all she does is stow it away. 

“Return everything,” she orders. “Then report to Artioso Hold to be sentenced. I will hunt you down if you do not.”

Letting out a whimper at the threat, the bandit leader nods desperately with his face pressed to the dirt. 

“Bless your kindness, Ser Knight,” he grovels shamelessly. “I promise we’ll be at Artioso Hold in three days– No, two! I swear it, Ser Knight!”

Hyejoo secretly rolls her eyes inside her helm as she prepares to leave to find her next target. An afterthought comes to her though, and she wheels around Aegis to face the group of bandits and merchants again.

“Eep!” 

“Deliver a message to the princess,” Hyejoo says, ignoring the thief that fainted. “Tell her that her knight is fine.”

She repeats those words over the next few days after every band of brigands she eliminates. Some aren’t keen on surrendering, and Hyejoo has no choice but to dispose of them. Most, like the first group, value their lives enough to be more than willing to play messenger in exchange for survival, and although Hyejoo doesn’t know how many will actually follow through, she figures her regards will get through to Chaewon all the same.

Hyejoo returns to the castle after a fortnight.

She barely has a chance to dismount before a squire approaches her in a hurry.

“Ser,” the squire greets with a bow. “Princess Chaewon has requested your presence in the council room.”

Hyejoo frowns.

“Isn’t she normally in a meeting at this time?”

“She emphasized that you be there ‘at once’, Ser.”

Hyejoo sighs and hands Aegis’s reins to a stablehand. She moves to take off her helmet but then thinks better of it, leaving it on as she begins to head to the designated room.

As predicted, Chaewon is indeed in the middle of speaking to several nobles when Hyejoo walks in. They all give a start, one of the ladies visibly jumping in her seat upon spotting Hyejoo in her notorious black armor, though Chaewon alone remains unruffled. She even shoots her vassals a relaxed, reassuring smile before dismissing them.

“I’d like to speak to my betrothed right now, if that’s alright,” she says sweetly. “We can reconvene at the same time tomorrow.”

Hyejoo feels a chill go up her spine at the princess’s tone, one that almost triggers her fight or flight instincts even if it’s tempered by the rush of heat to her ears from the usage of ‘betrothed’. Hyejoo tries not to get distracted by the fact that this is the first time Chaewon has called her that as nobles scurry out of the room to leave the pair alone.

Chaewon’s pleasant smile vanishes as soon as the door shuts with a click.

“Ser Hyejoo,” she says cooly.

“Princess,” Hyejoo returns. 

Chaewon gracefully rises from her seat at the head of the conference table and walks slowly but deliberately over to Hyejoo. Her height remains lacking, but her evident irritation makes up for it as she comes to a stop right in front of the Alliance’s most feared warrior. 

“I’m glad to see you alive,” Chaewon says. “In one piece. And not dead in some ditch.”

“... Did my messengers not arrive?”

“If by messengers, you mean the parade of criminals you sent here, then yes, I did.” Chaewon scrunches her nose in distaste. “Several of them decided to belt out love sonnets for some reason.”

“I didn’t tell them to do that,” Hyejoo clarifies quickly. “I only told them to tell you that I’m fine.”

“Right. How considerate of you. Just like how you were considerate enough to run off in the first place.”

“I told Lieutenant Gahyeon where I was going.”

“And you didn’t think to bring her along?”

Hyejoo clenches her fist. 

“She’s needed here, and I–” _I’m not_. “Look, there’s no way I would lose to some random bandits, okay?”

“That’s what my father thought,” Chaewon says, her anger giving way to a slumbering grief Hyejoo has tried to forget. “And one day, he just didn’t come back.”

Hyejoo lowers her head, glad that she chose to keep her helm on. She’s not sure what kind of expression her own face is making right now, but the bitterness at the back of her tongue lets her know that she doesn’t want to be seen. 

“My apologies, Princess,” she mutters. “I will exercise more caution in the future.”

Chaewon sighs. 

“Tell me, Ser Hyejoo, do you enjoy fighting?”

“... It’s what I’m good at.”

“But is it what you want?” 

Hyejoo doesn’t answer, which is answer enough. 

She instinctively takes a step back when Chaewon suddenly reaches out for her. 

“What are you doing?” Hyejoo asks, retreating even further when Chaewon continues to try to grab at her. 

“I’m taking your helmet off,” Chaewon states with a dangerously determined glint in her eyes. “I don’t like talking to a bucket.”

“You don’t have to– Stop– Let me–” Careful to not hurt the princess, Hyejoo takes hold of Chaewon’s wrists to stop any further attacks. “I can take it off by myself,” she says, mildly annoyed. “Calm down, Your Highness.”

“I am calm!” Chaewon whines. She makes a useless attempt to escape the vice-like grip holding her still, pouting when she inevitably fails. “It’s just…”

“The armor scares you?” Hyejoo guesses. 

“What? No,” Chaewon snorts with an elegance befitting her rank. “I know you’re not as mean as you look. It’s just… You don’t have to hide, okay?”

“... I’m not hiding.”

“Then please, take it off.”

Hyejoo releases Chaewon. Ignoring the weird twist in her gut, she slowly moves her hands to the leather straps keeping her helmet secure. She undoes them, buckles clinking as she pulls her mask off. 

“There,” Hyejoo mutters, her eyes refusing to look at Chaewon. “Happy?”

A pair of hands gently cover her own. Hyejoo can’t feel Chaewon’s skin through her gauntlets, but she can imagine her warmth as her fiancée carefully takes her helmet from her. 

“I would be happier if you were,” Chaewon says softly. “I know it’s not easy being here, but…”

“But?”

“But… I don’t know,” Chaewon admits with a defeated huff. 

Although Hyejoo wouldn’t say she’s pleased to see Chaewon’s troubled look, there’s something comforting about it. She’s _trying_ , Hyejoo realizes, and that effort is worth more to her than Chaewon could possibly know. It reminds her of Sooyoung and Jiwoo in a way, and that thought is able to drown out that incessant, uneasy cry in the back of her head.

“It’s okay, Princess,” Hyejoo assures her. “I don’t know either.”

Their eyes briefly meet at this concession, and Chaewon flashes a small smile. Hyejoo tries to return it, but a sudden wave of embarrassment forces her to examine one of the Kingdom’s tapestries displayed in the council room instead.

“Ahem,” Hyejoo coughs. “Can I, uh, have my helmet back?”

“Sure, as long as you don’t go off on some solo trip again,” Chaewon says pointedly. “You’re too important to lose like that, you know.”

“Right,” Hyejoo mumbles, ignoring how the heat has spread from her ears to the rest of her face. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Hyejoo stays true to her word, unwilling to incur Chaewon’s true wrath. She prepares herself for a return to that listless boredom of two weeks ago, but that plan is scrapped when Chaewon assigns Hyejoo to be her personal bodyguard and attendant. 

“I’m the princess, so I deserve the best,” Chaewon declares rather loftily. “And one Hyejoo is worth more than the Royal Guard. No offense to them.”

“... You just want me to help with your paperwork, don’t you?” Hyejoo asks dryly.

Chaewon bats her eyelashes.

“Whatever would make you think that?” she says right before dropping an entire stack of documents for Hyejoo to sign as the future princess consort. 

Well, at least being at Chaewon’s beck and call does have its benefits. Hyejoo is now required to be at Chaewon’s side no matter how busy the princess gets, a duty Hyejoo is more than willing to comply with. Even if she’ll never be a ruler of Sooyoung’s caliber, Hyejoo is able to glean quite a bit of knowledge just from watching Chaewon and how she runs Artioso Hold. Seeing a bunch of nobles on a daily basis isn’t as appealing, but Hyejoo’s fixed presence does seem to gradually convince them that she’s no threat to their precious princess.

They’re still terrified of her though, judging from their behavior whenever Hyejoo sits in as Chaewon holds court. All it takes is a random jerk of Hyejoo’s hand for even the most pompous of aristocrats to wither in fright and accede to Chaewon’s decisions. The princess seems to take secret delight in utilizing Hyejoo in this manner, Hyejoo catching sight of a smug smirk more than once, though Chaewon adamantly denies such a thing when asked about it in private. 

“Do you really think I’m that deceitful, Ser Hyejoo?” Chaewon questions with a pitiful frown. 

“N– No,” Hyejoo stutters out of guilt. It’s immediately replaced by a fond exasperation when she notices the twitch at the corner of Chaewon’s lips. “Actually, yes. Yes, you are.”

Chaewon laughs, and the room becomes just a bit brighter. 

“Come with me,” she says, beckoning Hyejoo towards a hallway she’s rarely used. “There’s someone I’ve been wanting you to meet.”

“Who?”

“My mother.”

“Ah…”

Hyejoo’s mouth goes dry as she follows Chaewon across a skyway. It leads to a tower Hyejoo has never visited, and she easily surmises that this is where the ailing queen resides. 

“It’ll be fine,” Chaewon suddenly says right outside the door to the queen’s quarters. 

There’s something off about her voice, and Hyejoo suspects that Chaewon is actually trying to encourage herself for whatever reason. This does nothing to help Hyejoo’s own apprehension, but all she can do is swallow her fears as she surreptitiously wipes her hands on her pants. 

“It’ll be fine,” Hyejoo echoes, and it’s more a wish than anything. 

Chaewon knocks, and the door opens. 

“What have we here?” calls out a feeble and wispy voice. It’s reminiscent of a moth alighting on a twig that’s about to snap, and Hyejoo peers past the nurses and caretakers gathered within the room to see that its owner is a woman even frailer than Hyejoo expected. She’s seated by the window, the dying rays of the sun illuminating her from behind, and Hyejoo is almost afraid to blink lest the queen dissolves into the dusk.

Chaewon nudges Hyejoo forward with a light push. Stumbling a bit, Hyejoo ignores the curious servants that have the presence of mind to step back respectfully even as they gape at this unusual scene. 

“Your Majesty,” Hyejoo hails as she sinks to one knee before the queen. “I am Ser Hyejoo, a knight from the Eden Alliance and w– wife-to-be of Princess Chaewon.”

“Oh?” The queen looks even more fragile up close, but there’s a familiar kindness that shines in her eyes, one that makes it clear who her daughter is. “Rise, will you? I wish to see you better, Ser Knight.”

Hyejoo obliges, keeping her head tilted in a deferential nod. A hand comes to rest on her cheek, and it takes all her willpower for Hyejoo to not flinch at how intimate and inexplicably comforting a mother’s touch can be. 

“Why do you look so tired, child?” the queen asks. 

“I–”

“You look so young, yet you seem so weary. Have you come a long way?”

“I… I have,” Hyejoo mumbles. 

The queen gives a wan but welcoming smile. 

“That’s alright, dear,” she says. “You are in the Hold, where you shall find the peace and succor you need. My daughters will ensure it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Ah, but to think my little Chaewon has grown so much…” 

The queen trails off, likely reminiscing in her own little world. It takes a few seconds for that far-off look to clear up, but a confused fog settles over her countenance instead. 

“Where is Jinsol?” she queries. She begins to wring her wrists in a sign of growing anxiousness. “I feel like I haven’t seen my sweet Jinsol in so long…”

“She’s at Eclipse Palace, Mother,” Chaewon answers from Hyejoo’s side. Hyejoo missed when Chaewon had approached, but she’s grateful nonetheless to have her here to handle this turn of events. Indeed, it becomes increasingly obvious that something isn’t right when Chaewon has to explain, “She’s married to Princess Jungeun now, remember?”

“Eclipse Palace? That’s so far away…” 

Once again, the queen’s gaze slides out of focus. She appears to shrivel up in despondency, withdrawing within herself before she suddenly uncoils and lunges at Hyejoo with astounding strength.

“Your Majesty!”

The queen’s servants rush to pry their liege off of Hyejoo, who does her best to remain still even as she’s shaken by her lapels. Chaewon initially takes a step back in shock, but she is swift in pulling Hyejoo away once the queen’s grip slackens enough to free the knight.

“Please,” the queen wails as her nurses forcefully push her back in bed. “Please, not my little Chaewon… You can’t take my Chaewon from me! You can’t!”

The last thing Hyejoo sees before the door closes is a mother broken by too much love and loss.

How familiar.

Hyejoo dutifully follows Chaewon back across the skyway. They take a left, then a right, then another left until Chaewon comes to an abrupt halt in a deserted corner of the castle. She does nothing, merely standing there stock-still and unmoving.

Hyejoo waits.

“I apologize for showing you such an unseemly side of the queen,” Chaewon finally says after several long minutes. “I assure you, such behavior is normally unthinkable of Her Majesty.”

“It’s alright,” Hyejoo shrugs. “It happens.”

“It shouldn’t.”

“But it does,” Hyejoo points out. When Chaewon’s shoulders visibly droop at this cold truth, she adds, “It’s not your fault.”

Chaewon can’t seem to hear her. Although Hyejoo can’t see her face, it’s not too far of a stretch to guess that the princess has on that defensive, emotionless veil again. Hyejoo hasn’t really seen it in a while, so to feel its return sends a pang of sympathy through the young knight.

Hyejoo raises her hand, about to give what’s hopefully a reassuring pat on Chaewon’s back. She reconsiders though, wondering if maybe a friendly touch to the shoulder would be more helpful. A hug could be even better, but Hyejoo doesn’t think she has the courage to cross that line just yet. As she fights with herself and wars with indecision, hand still hovering awkwardly in the air, Chaewon moves. 

She sinks to the floor and hugs her knees, the very image of someone with too much to bear. 

“You say it’s not my fault, but it feels like it is,” Chaewon confesses. “Jinsol entrusted me with taking care of Mother in her stead, but as you saw, she’s not doing well. She keeps getting sicker, and no matter what I do, she just gets further and further away.”

“Yeah, but–”

“Jinsol told me to protect Artioso Hold too,” Chaewon continues, ignoring the interruption as she curls in on herself even more. “And look what happened.”

“It’s not–”

“If Jinsol were here instead, she wouldn’t be this much of a _failure_ –”

“Stop!” Hyejoo cuts in loudly. She walks purposefully around Chaewon, squatting down in front of the stunned princess. “Please,” she says in a softer tone. “Nobody here thinks you’re a failure. I’ll fight anyone who does. And you know I’ll win.”

Chaewon gives a ghost of a chuckle, and Hyejoo takes it as a sign of encouragement. 

“Like I said before, it’s not your fault,” Hyejoo states firmly. “None of this is. Things happen. That’s just how it is. Sometimes things happen, and there’s nothing we can do about it. I would know.”

“You would, wouldn’t you?” Chaewon murmurs. 

“Exactly,” Hyejoo nods, cognizant of the fact that Jiwoo once gave Chaewon a quick rundown of her past. “Things. Happen. And all we can do is our best. Which you are. Everyone in the Hold adores you, Princess. They know how hard you work for everyone’s sake.”

“What about you?”

Hyejoo blinks at the question. 

“Huh?”

Chaewon suddenly leans forward, and the spontaneity of the action nearly bowls Hyejoo over from the surprise. It takes the knight an embarrassing few seconds to regain her balance, arms waving about like a windmill, but Hyejoo finds that she doesn’t actually mind when she sees a hint of that usual sparkle in Chaewon’s eyes. 

“What about you?” Chaewon repeats her question. “You say everyone in the Hold adores me. Does that include you?”

“What? No! Wait. What?”

This time, the Princess of Artioso Hold lets out a genuine giggle as the Demon of the North flounders about in a fluster.

“I’m kidding,” Chaewon says mercifully as her amusement settles into a more placid expression. “Thank you, Ser Hyejoo.”

“It’s nothing,” Hyejoo mutters, intently examining one of the torches on the wall. “We all have our doubts.”

“And I’m glad I can share mine with you,” Chaewon says, her voice soft. “Speaking of sharing…”

She holds out a hand, and Hyejoo instinctively grabs it to pull the royal back onto her feet. 

“What is it?” Hyejoo prompts. 

“There’s a place I’d like to show you,” Chaewon divulges. “Will you come?”

“I’m with you,” Hyejoo promises.

Their initial destination turns out to be quite close. 

Chaewon leads Hyejoo towards a statue just a few feet away from them. This was probably Chaewon’s target all along before her emotions blindsided her, Hyejoo figures. She watches as Chaewon fiddles with some switch on the statue before the wall behind it slides open with a click. 

“What the…”

“It’s amazing how you said so much earlier, and now you’re back to your usual sentence length,” Chaewon teases. “Anyways, I’ll teach you the code later. For now, come.”

She tugs on their interlocked hands, and Hyejoo belatedly realizes that they haven’t let go of each other for the past few minutes. It turns out to be for the better when the other end of this secret passage leads to an opening on the side of the precipice that Artioso Hold is situated on. 

“I used to come here with Jinsol all the time,” Chaewon says as she guides Hyejoo down a natural staircase formed along the side of the cliff. “I haven’t been here since she got married because… Well, it doesn’t feel right, coming by myself.”

By now, the moon has risen into the sky to help light the way, but Hyejoo suspects Chaewon doesn’t need it. She walks this rugged path like she knows it like the back of her hand, not missing a single step as they descend towards the ocean. Hyejoo isn’t as sure of her footing, but Chaewon’s pace is patient and her hand is warm as she keeps Hyejoo anchored to her.

Their journey comes to an end at the edge of the sea.

Waves crash against the shore of this secluded alcove far from any prying eyes. It feels like a world of its own as shadowy waters churn endlessly, pushing and pulling, advancing and receding. The earth breathes here, and Hyejoo finds herself inhaling and exhaling in time with every ebb and flow. 

It’s quiet. 

And Hyejoo is okay with that. 

The silence is broken by Chaewon.

“Look,” she whispers, pointing into the distance.

There, out of the blackness of the ocean, a wave rises and glows. It shines brightly in its luminescence, almost as if the sea were made of stars, and all Hyejoo can do is watch as it surges forward before disappearing back into the gloom. Another azure wave soon follows it, then another, and then another in a never-ending symphony of light and dark.

Blue. So much blue.

“You really have come a long way, haven’t you?”

Hyejoo turns to see Chaewon gazing at her. Under the moonlight, the princess is radiant, and there’s something immeasurably tender in her eyes. Although Hyejoo doesn’t understand what it means, the gentle squeeze of her hand makes her think that maybe someday she will, and that maybe, just maybe someday she’ll be worthy of standing at Chaewon’s side.

The thought brings a smile to Hyejoo’s lips.

“You know… I don’t know how I got here,” Hyejoo admits with a chuckle.

“That’s okay,” Chaewon laughs. “I’m just glad that you did.”

 _So am I_ , Hyejoo thinks as she looks back out to the sea. _So am I_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: okay so this oneshot is gonna be like 5k, 10k tops
> 
> Me, when Hyejoo's backstory alone winds up being nearly 6k: uh oh
> 
> Me, as the word count keeps rising and the story isn't even halfway finished: I have miscalculated
> 
> Opinions on the gays? Share them below!
> 
> twitter.com/adlerklasse
> 
> curiouscat.me/adlerklasse


	3. From Eden

_Dear Esteemed Knight Hyejoo, Champion of the North, Future Princess Consort of Artioso Hold, and Meanie Who Only Writes Me Half As Much As I Write Her,_

_I hope you understand how cruel it was for you to tell me about the new litter of puppies at Artioso Hold. Puppies! How can you expect me to not want to go over there and take them all home? It saddens me that by the time you receive this letter, they won’t be so small anymore. You better take good care of each and every one, you hear me? Meanwhile, Sooyoung has finally agreed that we should adopt a puppy of our own. It’ll take a bit more convincing for her to let me name it Hyejoo._

_I can just imagine your grumpy face from reading that._

_Be careful now that it’s summer. I heard people in the Kingdom like to go swimming around this time of the year, but you and I both know you can’t swim. Make sure you find a safe way to beat the heat! And tell me if it’s really as hot down there as everyone says it is. The poor puppies…_

_Sooyoung told you about the rumors surrounding General Yubin, right? Well, they’ve only gotten worse since she was spotted dancing with an anonymous lady during the last masquerade. Twice. Many hearts were broken that night, and people still don’t know who General Yubin’s mysterious lover is. I have a hunch (starts with an H!), but I’ll keep it to myself for now._

_Speaking of lovers, any improvement with Princess Chaewon? Yes, I know you said you’re just friends. Sooyoung showed me the essay you wrote on that very topic. But come on! Open your mind and open your heart! Let a little romance into your life!_

_… It suddenly got colder here and I haven’t even sent this letter yet._

_Anyway, as I’ve said before, I am so relieved that you two have gotten closer. I worried that_ ~~_you’d be alone_~~ _~~you’d dislike her~~_ _~~she’d hate you~~_ _you two wouldn’t be compatible as partners, so every bit of evidence proving otherwise is a balm on my heart. Romantic or not, I do truly wish that you two find happiness with each other. Remember, you’ll soon be stuck together for the rest of your lives!_

_Speaking of which, preparations for your wedding are still underway. Sooyoung and Princess Jinsol have yet to agree on the finer details, but at least they both insist on offering you and Princess Chaewon nothing but the best. Unfortunately, negotiations regarding the Cygnus Concord aren’t going nearly as well, as I’m sure you’ve heard. It’s still nowhere near being finalized, so I’m afraid your marriage will have to wait. We will pull through though. We always do. If worst comes to worst, I have it in writing that Princess Jungeun will willingly join me for a Noble Bonking Tour. I’ll bring puppy Hyejoo along too._

_For the record, I’m only joking about naming our puppy after you. Mostly._

_Give Aegis lots of kisses from me, okay? And if you’re up for it, give Princess Chaewon some too. Give her our regards at the very least. And write to us more! That’s an order! I’m going to cry if you say that you only obey Princess Chaewon now._

_Take care, and may we meet again soon._

_With much love,_

_Queen Jiwoo of the Eden Alliance_

Hyejoo snorts as soon as she finishes reading the letter that was just delivered to her. In the safety of the solitude of Chaewon’s office, there’s no fear of anyone catching her grinning wider than her reputation allows, so Hyejoo is free to enjoy the cheery nostalgia that always comes with Jiwoo’s words. It’s bittersweet, having the luxury and obligation of missing someone, and Hyejoo soothes that ache by reading over Jiwoo’s message once more.

_I do truly wish that you two find happiness with each other._

Smiling wryly to herself, Hyejoo holds the bottom of the letter up against a candle out of habit. It’s an old practice, dating back to her time on the war front when the queens of the Eden Alliance occasionally had things to say that weren’t meant for intrusive eyes. Hyejoo doesn’t expect anything during these considerably more tranquil days though, so it’s like getting dunked in a frozen lake when dark brown letters begin to emerge from the parchment, word by word.

_Protect her. At all costs._

A hidden warning, as dire as it is vague. 

Hyejoo used to think she was accustomed to these kinds of invisible dangers, as commonplace as they were in the north. She’s seen her share of assasination attempts and failed coups during her time with Sooyoung, so being responsible for preventing regicide once again shouldn’t shake Hyejoo. 

And yet it does. 

For whatever reason, it chills Hyejoo to think of the unknown enemy lurking in the shadows. It’s not as though she’s been careless in her ordained role as Chaewon’s prime protector, but the revelation that there is now an actual, tangible threat out there seeking the princess’s death stirs up an unwanted storm of emotions within Hyejoo. 

Fury. 

Hyejoo wills that long-buried feeling away, telling herself to not dwell on hypothetical failures. There’s no way she’s going to let any harm come to Chaewon, she reminds herself. It’s simply impossible, something she’s willing to lay her own life on the line for. There’s far too much at stake, as Jiwoo emphasized, and Hyejoo refuses to let some insidious ploy ruin everything.

She refuses to lose Chaewon. 

Her conviction placates herself just in time for the door to swing open. 

“Haven’t I told you to keep your feet off my desk?” Chaewon grouses as she walks in with a pile of scrolls.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Hyejoo answers blithely. She stands up to assist Chaewon with the load in her arms, deftly pocketing Jiwoo’s letter as she does so. Chaewon, on the other hand, immediately flops into her chair and lets out an extremely un-ladylike groan.

“I’m retiring early,” she announces. “And by early, I mean right now.”

“Ah,” Hyejoo nods. “Should I summon the seneschal?”

“Yes, and tell him he’s getting demoted to court jester because he’s an utter clown.”

Hyejoo chuckles as she deposits Chaewon’s scrolls onto her desk. A quick scan reveals them to be financial documents, and a concerned frown overtakes Hyejoo’s face.

“Is there a problem with the treasury?” she asks.

“Not exactly?” Chaewon scrunches her nose before letting out a loud wail. “Aaaaah, I hate pirates!”

“... Pirates?”

“Remember the colony I told you about off the coast? On the Isle of Roses?”

“Yeah?” Hyejoo grimaces. “Don’t we give them, ahem, _tribute_ every season specifically so we don’t have to deal with their piracy?”

“Right,” Chaewon scowls. “We already paid them this summer, and yet here they are demanding more.”

“That’s dumb,” Hyejoo says flatly. “On what grounds?”

“Well, they’re saying that since the Jung-Kim Kingdom is effectively double of the Jung Kingdom, they deserve double the payout too.”

“... Like I said, That’s dumb.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Chaewon’s scowl deepens. “They had the gall to deliver this message by taking a merchant ship hostage, and now they’re threatening to blockade Artioso Port until we comply.”

Hyejoo purses her lips and gathers the facts inside her head. Although she’s not privy to the full military dealings of the Jung-Kim Kingdom, she’s still aware of the fact that the Kingdom’s navy is on the backfoot due to resources being redirected to the defense effort against the Jo Empire. She also knows just how crucial Artioso Port is as a trading hub and how stifling the flow of commerce would be disastrous for the former Jung capital.

Is this the danger Jiwoo referred to? Highly unlikely, Hyejoo concludes considering how she specified ‘her’, though it’s clear that these seafaring vagabonds are being a massive thorn in Chaewon’s side. Despite her earlier words about abandoning her position, the princess has already picked up a scroll and begun to read, all but glaring at the documents in frustration. 

Chaewon spends the next few days agonizing over the matter. Faced with having to somehow conjure enough funds without enraging the masses, she also has to deal with countless nobles eager to make themselves heard as they shove useless suggestions at her. They’re more of a hindrance than anything as they occupy her time with their meaningless debates instead of actually solving the issue. When their usually mild-mannered princess ends a meeting with a surprisingly loud ‘keep your mouth shut if you’re just going to waste words,’ it’s clear that Chaewon is at wits’ end. 

Hyejoo decides to do something about it.

It’s hard to operate right under Chaewon’s nose without her finding out about it, but Hyejoo does manage to enlist Lieutenant Gahyeon and a score of other soldiers for her mission. Despite being Kingdom troops, they’re more than eager to join her, and Hyejoo has no difficulty finding another group of elite knights to cover for her as Chaewon’s guard.

This time, Hyejoo leaves at midnight.

It doesn’t take long for her squadron to arrive at a small fishing village to the south of the Hold. There, a frigate awaits them, and they board it swiftly to cross the strait leading to the Isle of Roses under the guise of darkness. 

“It’s your fault if Princess Chaewon gets mad at us for this,” Lieutenant Gahyeon warns as they approach their destination. 

“I know,” Hyejoo replies tersely.

“All the same, we’re grateful to you, Knight Hyejoo.”

“... For what?”

“For giving us hope,” Gahyeon smiles. “I’m pretty sure we all thought it would be impossible to get rid of these pirates after even Princess Jinsol couldn’t defeat the Ruler of the Seas.”

Hyejoo blinks.

“The what?”

“The Ruler of the Seas,” Gahyeon repeats, her smile turning wry. “That’s the title they give to their leader. A bit much, if you ask me… They only rule this tiny island.”

“Tch.” Hyejoo clicks her tongue. “We’ll show them who really rules the west.”

“I look forward to it,” Gahyeon agrees. “But be careful. We all know how strong you are, but…”

“But?”

“It is said that these pirates choose their Ruler based on who can defeat the current one,” Gahyeon says seriously. “They’ve changed leaders five times since Princess Jinsol fought them, so there’s no telling how powerful the Ruler is now.”

Hyejoo clenches the rail of the starboard side of their ship. Thinking of the person no doubt aware of her disappearance by now, she steels her resolve.

“I won’t lose,” Hyejoo vows.

She comes dangerously close to breaking that promise.

The night raid on the Isle of Roses’ main settlement goes incredibly well at first. Caught off guard by the ambush, most of the pirates are unable to defend themselves and are easily apprehended by the Kingdom troops. Some make fruitless efforts to fight back, but between being woken up out of the blue and not even having their arms at the ready, the pirates are easily overwhelmed and many resort to surrendering instead of giving up their lives in vain. 

And then a man emerges from the central hut. 

Trophies of war clinking around his neck, the so-called Ruler of the Seas hoists a giant executioner’s axe over his shoulder as he steps out into the chaos. His presence rouses his subordinates, men and women hooting and hollering even with boots on their backs and blades at their throats. 

“What’s this?” he bellows at the crowd. “That conniving little princess sent her tin toys to come kill me in my sleep?”

His pirates shamelessly begin to jeer, and Hyejoo watches Lieutenant Gahyeon bash one of the men shouting obscene things with the pommel of her sword to silence him. 

The Ruler scoffs. 

“You’re the one in charge?” he asks, pointing at Gahyeon. “A mere lieutenant, come to challenge me?”

“No,” Hyejoo says as she walks out of the shadows. “I challenge you.”

The Ruler stares. 

Then he bursts into laughter. 

“Oh, this is rich,” he guffaws. “I heard about the princess’s scary new guard dog. How kind of her, sending me her pet so I can kill it.”

Hyejoo ignores the demeaning jibe. No part of that sentence is true in the first place, so she pays it no mind as she raises her halberd. 

“Fight me,” she demands. 

The Ruler of the Seas breaks into a leering grin. 

“It’ll be my pleasure.”

He attacks. 

Like a mad bull, the Ruler rushes forward, axe at the ready. For a man of his size, he moves deceptively quickly, making two horizontal slashes at Hyejoo as soon as she’s within range. Fortunately for her, she’s just as fast if not faster, and she’s able to dodge both swipes. Her own jab is blocked, but she’s not deterred as she takes a step back and waits for his next move. 

This time, her opponent goes for a wide swing. Hyejoo isn’t foolish enough to believe he would leave himself so open like that, and her intuition is proven right when he makes a feint and pulls back before committing to the action. Taking this change of direction as her chance, Hyejoo goes on the offensive. 

Their duel becomes a blur as blow after mighty blow is exchanged. Weapons clashing loudly, Hyejoo can see and feel why Gahyeon warned her so. Although she maintains a slight edge in the rhythm of this fight, Hyejoo soon realizes that she cannot best the Ruler’s raw power through her own brute force. His vaunted strength prevents her from making any decisive hits, and the fight gradually turns into a battle of stamina and technique rather than sheer might. 

Hyejoo remains calm as the seconds fly by. The armor gifted to her does its job, protecting her from glancing blows that would have been damaging otherwise. The Ruler’s own leather and cloth garbs don’t stand up as well to the cuts Hyejoo is able to inflict, and at first glance, it seems as though her victory is slowly but surely getting within reach. 

All of a sudden, the Ruler makes a peculiar move. 

With both their weapons trapped in a deadlock, the pirate leader suddenly twists his axe. Hyejoo’s halberd would have been ripped out of her hands were she a lesser knight, but she’s able to keep her grip and balance. 

“Not bad,” the Ruler acknowledges, curling his lip. “But too late!”

Hyejoo only has a second to react when one of his hands darts towards his waist before whipping out a dagger and slashing at her throat. 

Red. 

Drops of red fly into the air. 

Hyejoo stumbles backward, clutching at her neck. Her halberd falls to the ground where she was forced to abandon it. Vaguely aware of the panicked shouts surrounding her, Hyejoo looks up just in time to see the Ruler advancing on her, axe lifted high above his head. 

“What, you thought a pirate would play fair?” he smirks. “Any last words?”

“Yeah,” Hyejoo croaks, lowering her hands. “Tell the princess…”

“What? Spit it out, if you even can.”

“Tell the princess… that her knight is fine.”

“What–”

In one smooth motion, Hyejoo grabs the black sword at her side, unsheathes it, and stabs. 

“Oh. Okay,” the Ruler of the Seas says. 

And then he collapses. 

The remaining pirates immediately break out into a clamor. They’re cheering for whatever reason, and Hyejoo honestly doesn’t care as she tugs at the cloth she usually wears around her neck. It comes away with a tint of bright scarlet, though not a lot.

“Ser Hyejoo!”

Gahyeon rushes up to her, bandages at the ready. 

“I’m fine,” Hyejoo says quickly before the rest of her Kingdom comrades start kicking up a fuss. “It was just a scratch.”

“It didn’t look like a scratch,” Gahyeon accuses, eyes narrowed.

“I know. I was pretending it was worse.”

Hyejoo touches the cut at her throat, wincing when it stings. 

“Damn,” she hisses. “Just had to get me right between my armor.”

“He’s probably done this loads of times,” Gahyeon says as she begins helping Hyejoo dress her wound. “I seriously feared for my life for a moment there though.”

“Why? I weakened him,” Hyejoo frowns. “Still don’t think you could have beaten him?”

Gahyeon snorts. 

“It’s not him I was afraid of,” she says dryly. “It’s Her Royal Highness that I fear.”

“Ah. Right.”

“Mhm.”

Hyejoo clears her throat. 

“Lieutenant. Would you mind… explaining this to the princess when we get back?”

“With all due respect, Ser, you couldn’t pay me to.”

To nobody’s surprise, Lieutenant Gahyeon vanishes once they make it back to Artioso Hold at sunset. The other Kingdom soldiers also scatter to the wind, and Hyejoo doesn’t blame any of them when she sees Chaewon standing right at the entrance to the main keep with a torch in hand. For a terrifying moment, it looks as though she’s about to chuck it right at Hyejoo, but instead she turns around and disappears into the castle.

“Good luck, Ser Hyejoo,” one of her fellow knights whispers.

Hyejoo sighs and follows her princess inside.

Chaewon doesn’t turn around a single time as she takes them to her private quarters of all places. Along the way, Hyejoo can hear the Hold’s occupants chattering excitedly about her triumphant ‘conquest of the Isle of Roses.’ They’re already spinning tall tales of her feat, someone enthusiastically describing how she cleaved a pirate ship in two with just one swing of her fabled blade. It’s amusing as it is absurd, but Hyejoo doesn’t dare laugh as she continues following Chaewon.

Chaewon, who remains silent.

The princess says nothing even when they’ve reached the privacy and sanctuary of her bedroom. There’s no acknowledgement from her, no congratulations, not even the scolding Hyejoo was expecting upon her return. All there is is that cold, withdrawn expression that Hyejoo longs to never have to see again. It makes her look like a doll, Hyejoo thinks as Chaewon wordlessly takes a seat on the edge of her bed.

A very lonely doll.

“... I’m sorry,” Hyejoo apologizes after far too many minutes with this invisible wall between them. “I know it’s dangerous for me to be out there–”

“Why did you go?”

Hyejoo doesn’t miss that pained flash of emotion that forms the first crack in Chaewon’s mask.

“It felt like the right thing to do,” she says honestly. “For the Kingdom’s sake.” _For your sake._

Another crack.

“You’d risk your life for the Kingdom?” _For me?_

“Without question.”

Piece by piece, fragment by fragment, Chaewon’s mask falls apart. It starts with a furrow of the brows, followed by a quiver of the lip, then a tremor in the voice when she asks, “What happens when you really don’t come back?”

Hyejoo’s first reaction is to lay out the truth: this is the gamble all soldiers make when they head to battle. She knows this, her enemies know this, and most importantly, Chaewon should know this. She should, and yet she looks at Hyejoo so sadly, so misty-eyed and melancholic that Hyejoo feels her heart crumble. 

“Princess.” Hyejoo takes a knee before her future wife. She reaches out for Chaewon’s hand, seeking her warmth. “No matter what happens today or tomorrow, I swear that I shall do everything in my power to return to you. Always.”

“Always?” Chaewon echoes. 

“Always,” Hyejoo affirms. 

Chaewon sighs. 

“I’ll be holding you to that,” she says with one of her more usual pouts. She pats the empty space next to her. “Sit. Let me see your wound.”

“Wait, what?”

“Your bandage needs to be changed,” Chaewon points out. “And I know how to do it.”

“O– Oh.”

With equal parts hesitancy and shyness, Hyejoo acquiesces. Chaewon is right after all, as she tends to be, and it’s probably easier to comply than it is to get chewed out. Hyejoo has no intention of dealing with an enraged princess after having escaped that potential nightmare, and so she obediently braces herself for the mortification of allowing someone this near. 

“I won’t hurt you, I promise,” Chaewon whispers. 

And Hyejoo believes her. 

She closes her eyes and tilts her head back, leaving herself vulnerable and open. Hands clenched on her lap, Hyejoo knows she’s being irregularly stiff, but it’s the only way she can deal with the heat that spreads from her ears when she feels the lightest of touches against her neck. Fabric rustles as her old bandage is undone, and a small gasp can be heard as her cut is exposed. 

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Hyejoo says. “At least it shouldn’t be–”

“Stop talking,” Chaewon shushes her, though her tone is more determined than chastising. 

Hyejoo almost flinches when something cold touches her. It takes her a second to realize that it’s an ointment, and she stays as frozen as possible while it’s applied with great care. Fresh bandages soon follow, and Hyejoo can tell that they’re made of a finer, softer material than the coarse cloth she was using before. Still, they can’t compare to the gentle fingers that work against her skin; all it takes is one inadvertent brush against Hyejoo’s jaw for warm shivers to travel down her spine and into her heart. 

“There,” Chaewon announces, her breath ghosting over Hyejoo. “All done.”

Without even realizing what she’s doing, Hyejoo suddenly grabs Chaewon by the wrists before she can pull away. The action earns a shocked yelp, but Hyejoo pays no mind as she stares into Chaewon’s eyes. 

“I…”

“Wh– What is it?” Chaewon asks nervously, though she doesn’t break out of Hyejoo’s grip. On the contrary, she leans in, peering intently at Hyejoo out of concern and something Hyejoo still cannot identify. 

Close. She’s so close. 

Hyejoo blinks and lets go. 

“Thank you,” she mutters, her ears now on fire for whatever reason. “I… Thank you. That’s what I wanted to say.”

“... You’re welcome.”

Is that disappointment or relief that Hyejoo hears in Chaewon’s voice? It’s gone just as fast as it appeared, leaving Hyejoo to wonder if it was just her imagination. It’s probably the exhaustion from the events of the day getting to her, Hyejoo ultimately decides, and she stands up to prepare to retire for the night.

“Wait,” Chaewon calls out, grabbing Hyejoo’s sleeve.

“Hm?”

“Stay. Stay here for the night.”

Okay. Hyejoo is definitely hearing things now, because there’s no way Chaewon just invited her to spend the night in each other’s company. Except perhaps she really did because there’s no other explanation for the pretty flush currently spreading through the princess’s cheeks.

How cute, Hyejoo thinks, and the sight inspires a burst of boldness in her.

“Is that an order, Your Highness?” Hyejoo teases as she takes a daring step forward.

“Yes, actually,” Chaewon says, tone haughty despite the light dusting of pink still present on her face. “You’re grounded, Ser Hyejoo, and you are hereby confined to this room until I say so.”

Hyejoo grins and bows.

“As my princess commands.” 

She almost comes to regret those words as the night goes on. Whereas Chaewon practically faints the instant her head hits her pillow, probably worn out from a day’s worth of worrying, Hyejoo spends the entire night unable to sleep with a body right next to her. It’s not just anyone either, and that makes the entire experience simultaneously better and worse for the young knight. The hours tick by agonizingly slowly, and Hyejoo winds up catching a glimpse of dawn before she finally drifts off into a dreamless sleep.

It’s worth it in the end when she wakes up to laughter and a smile far brighter than the sun.

* * *

_Dear Knight Hyejoo, Future Princess Consort of Artioso Hold, Ruler of the Seas Who Can’t Even Swim, Champion or Hero or something of the Alliance, blah blah blah,_

_Did you really think you could get away with this? Did you honestly think we wouldn’t find out? Did you seriously, genuinely, with all your heart think that you could hide the fact that you now share a bedroom with Princess Chaewon from us? I CAN’T BELIEVE I HAD TO FIND OUT THROUGH A GOSSIPING COOK. A_ _COOK_ _, SER HYEJOO._

 _Jiwoo sends her congratulations, or she would if she would stop celebrating. She hasn’t stopped screaming since she found out, and I think I’m going to go deaf. I’m glad though, seeing her so happy. And I’m glad that you have_ ~~_a person_~~ _a place where you can feel safe._

_Speaking of safe, I’m proud of how you handled the Isle of Roses. We received word that there might have been an “international crisis” brewing with the potential loss of Artioso Port, but you sure nipped that in the bud, didn’t you? Once again, your strength has kept an entire country safe. The fact that the sword I gave to you played a part in your victory does warm my heart. I hope it, along with your armor and Aegis, can continue to protect you in the coming days. The loss of you alone would be more devastating than the loss of an entire legion._

_Dramatics aside, I really am relieved to hear that you are well. It’s a bit funny to think of you training pirates. The way Princess Chaewon tells it, they all just followed you back to the mainland like lost ducklings chasing their mother. At least they were willing to be conscripted into the Hold’s army. Don’t get too angry if some of them have trouble listening, okay? I doubt they’ve lived with much discipline prior to this, and besides, Princess Chaewon and I both agree that you’re not the best at listening either._

_That was a joke._

_Before you send threatening thoughts across the Cygnus River, know that I was able to dissuade Jiwoo from naming the newest member of our family after you. Instead, she has named it Chuu. I don’t know why. I also don’t know how adopting a puppy turned into adopting a baby wolf. At least Chuu is cute. I hope you can meet her soon. I’m sure she’d love Aegis._

_Onto bigger (but not more important!) matters, the Cygnus Concord has made much progress thanks to your brave actions. Kingdom nobles have started to sing your praises and have become much more accepting of working together even after the Jo Empire is no longer a threat. There are still some stubborn old farts getting in the way, but Jiwoo and I will get through. The Eden Alliance will establish itself as a nation worthy of allies. And your wedding is going to mark that historical turning point. Exciting, isn’t it? I can’t wait for that to happen, so do me a favor and convince your fiancée to convince her sister that burgundy is a superior color to navy blue._

_We finally cleaned out your old room, by the way. You didn’t really leave much so it didn’t take long, but… I’ll admit that it was painful in some ways. Still, I am truly so thankful that you’re finding your place in Artioso Hold. I’ve enclosed an item with this message that you may or may not want to keep with you there. The choice is yours._

_We miss you dearly. Stay safe until we can meet again. I have faith in you._

_From a person who deserves more fancy titles,_

_High Queen Sooyoung of the Eden Alliance_

_P.S. Ignore the stains on this letter. They’re NOT from tears. IGNORE THEM._

“What are you grinning about?”

Hyejoo looks up from Sooyoung’s letter to see Chaewon setting down her tea cup on the other side of the small table they’re sitting at. A blue butterfly circles around the princess’s head once before flitting back over the balcony railing and out towards the sky above the sea. As it leaves, a gust of wind blows through the terrace, rustling the papers in Hyejoo’s hands.

Hyejoo smooths them out before answering.

“It’s just Sooyoung being a sap, as usual,” she says a bit wistfully. On a whim, she flicks a peanut across the table and smirks when it hits Chaewon square in the forehead. “That’s for telling her that I don’t listen.”

“But you don’t!” Chaewon whines, clutching her forehead. “I keep telling you to stop smothering me in my sleep, and what do you do? Smother me in my sleep.”

“Says the person who clings to my arm the entire night,” Hyejoo retorts. She easily catches the peanut thrown back at her in her mouth. “Anyways, let me check if there’s any secret hidden here…”

Hyejoo cautiously holds the letter over the candle placed between the two of them. She sends Chaewon a halfhearted glare when the princess pretends to push the candle too close for comfort, but luckily Sooyoung’s extra words are safely revealed without anything igniting. 

_Protect her. Don’t know where, but danger is still there. Hey, that rhymed!_

Hyejoo rolls her eyes fondly before carefully folding up the message and tucking it away. 

“It’s the same as before,” she reports. “You’re still in danger, but she doesn’t know from who.”

“So business as usual,” Chaewon acknowledges in a curt tone. She takes a sip of her tea, gaze sliding over to the sea. “Can’t say I’m fond of not knowing if my next meal is going to be poisoned or not.”

“Don’t worry, Princess,” Hyejoo says with what she hopes is an encouraging smile. “Everyone here in the Hold would give up their lives to protect you.”

“And I wish you all wouldn’t have to,” Chaewon sighs. She then shakes her head, presumably to dislodge darker thoughts. “Sorry. I’m grateful. It’s just…”

“I know,” Hyejoo says sympathetically. “I understand.”

“Anyways,” Chaewon gives an elegant cough. “What’s in the package?”

“Good question.”

Hyejoo goes along with the change of topic as she picks up the small object wrapped in brown paper sitting in front of her. It’s not even the size of her palm, though it does have quite a bit of weight to it as she unties the knot holding it together. 

Another piece of paper flutters out. 

Hyejoo picks it up and reads, “‘This belongs to you until it no longer does.’ What?”

“Open it,” Chaewon suggests, leaning forward in curiosity. “It’ll probably make more sense once you see it.”

“Right…” Hyejoo says slowly as she strips away the final layers protecting this tiny parcel. Her hand slips at the last second, and something red clatters onto the table. 

A cracked ruby. 

Hyejoo freezes. 

Memories rise to greet her like an old friend, welcoming her back into the past. Like any good host, they usher her into the vaults of her mind, luring her deeper and deeper inside until a hand on her shoulder brings her to a stop. 

Hyejoo turns to see Chaewon standing at her side. 

“Hey. Are you okay?”

“Y– Yeah,” Hyejoo nods quickly, breaking eye contact. “I’m fine. It’s just… This was my– my brother’s.”

“Oh,” Chaewon whispers, and Hyejoo doesn’t need to look to know that the princess is now frowning in sympathy. 

Out of the blue, Chaewon moves her hand to the top of Hyejoo’s head. The action does make Hyejoo flinch in surprise at first, but she finds herself relaxing when Chaewon begins to pat her. When the pats turn into rubs and gentle scratches against her scalp, Hyejoo is tempted to make a quip about being treated like a puppy, but she chooses instead to simply enjoy this momentary respite. She closes her eyes and leans into Chaewon, melting into her warmth. 

“I didn’t forget,” Hyejoo mumbles as a pair of arms cradle her with kindness. “I know I didn’t forget about him, but it feels like I did. It feels like I left him behind.”

“Moving forward doesn’t always mean leaving things, leaving people behind,” Chaewon says softly. “And even if it does, aren’t you allowed to? Shouldn’t you be allowed to move on?”

Chaewon’s words ring in Hyejoo’s mind, resounding and resonant. Crashing against the walls of her heart, it’s overwhelming in a way, and Hyejoo scrunches her eyes shut to block the resultant tide of emotions threatening to overtake her. 

“I need a walk.”

Chaewon pulls away at the abrupt declaration. 

“Take your time,” she says, as patient and understanding as ever. “I’ll wait here–”

“Will you come with me?” Hyejoo interrupts. “Please?”

Chaewon smiles and reaches out her hand. 

“Of course.”

The seaside air does wonders in clearing Hyejoo’s turmoil. Comprehending better than ever before why Chaewon and Jinsol love this secluded alcove, Hyejoo idly kicks up the sand underneath her feet as she strolls with her princess along the shoreline. 

“Thanks for being here,” Hyejoo says, squeezing the pinky she has linked with Chaewon’s. “It’ll make this easier.”

“Make what easier?” 

“Letting go. And moving on.”

Still keeping their finger intertwined, Hyejoo raises her free hand over her head. The ruby clutched inside her grip gleams under the sun, shining despite its scars. It almost burns in Hyejoo’s hold, but she grasps it tighter in both desperation and hope. 

Hyejoo pulls her arm back. 

And she throws. 

The ruby soundlessly sinks into the depths of the ocean. Praying that the ghost of who she used to be can find peace at last, Hyejoo turns around and walks away. 

Chaewon stays by her side the entire time. 

Although the pair do eventually have to split up to return to their respective duties, Chaewon continues to be a source of stability as the days go on. From playfully batting her eyelashes when they pass in hallways to waving from a balcony as Hyejoo drills with soldiers below, the princess seems to make it a point to remind Hyejoo that she’s not alone. Such actions do garner the attention of the other inhabitants of the Hold, people whispering whenever their eyes so much as meet, but Hyejoo doesn’t care. In fact, she reciprocates Chaewon’s small acts of support by checking in on her whenever possible with her favorite snacks and going out of her way to make sure the two of them always have dinner together no matter what. Their nights don’t change; Chaewon’s bedroom remains their own private world at the end of the day, a place for them to just _be_ , free from the constraints of who they are. 

“You know, Her Highness seems more… real these days,” Lieutenant Gahyeon comments one afternoon during a sparring session. “Like an actual person instead of a fairytale princess.”

“That’s a good thing, right?” Hyejoo says as she swings her sword in an arc, hitting Gahyeon’s shield. 

“It’s a very good thing,” Gahyeon assures her. “Her suitors say she’s even more beautiful than before.”

“Her _what_.”

Hyejoo very nearly gets clobbered by Gahyeon’s mace in her moment of distraction, the weapon missing her nose by an inch or two. The lieutenant takes this chance and presses her assault even as Hyejoo scrambles to get her bearings back together. To her credit, she does almost break through Hyejoo’s guard once or twice, but Hyejoo is able to counterattack and disarm Gahyeon through the power of pure indignation. 

“Damn, I thought that would work,” Gahyeon grumbles petulantly as she climbs back to her feet. “I wasn’t lying though,” she quickly clarifies when Hyejoo lets out a growl. “Princess Chaewon has always had suitors, and some are foolish enough to continue pursuing her even now.”

“She’s _engaged_ ,” Hyejoo says through gritted teeth. “She has a fiancée. A betrothed.”

“Like I said, foolish,” Gahyeon shrugs. “But don’t worry. She tells them all that if they can’t best you in one-on-one combat, she won’t even stop to consider it.”

Hyejoo frowns, thinking back to recent interactions with snooty nobles. 

“No one’s challenged me so far…”

“Maybe that’s because Her Highness says that if anyone loses an arm or anything while dueling you, that’s on them.”

Just imagining that brings a satisfied smirk to Hyejoo’s lips; the prospect of beating the living daylights out of the cowardly flies bothering Chaewon is appealing enough for Hyejoo to tolerate their existence. For now. The thought continues to amuse her and actually motivates her as she enters another practice bout with Gahyeon that she soundly wins. 

“I give up!” Gahyeon groans, throwing down her shield when her mace is sent flying for the nth time. “I quit. I can’t beat you today.”

Hyejoo snorts. 

“It’s not like you’re going to beat me tomorrow,” she points out. 

“Haha, very funny,” Gahyeon says sarcastically with a peeved look in her eyes. “It’s about time for your meeting with Viscount Jeong anyways.”

“… My what?”

“Your meeting with Viscount Jeong. You know, to inspect his troops?”

Hyejoo stares. 

“I don’t recall any such thing,” she states. “I know the military keeps asking for my advice, but an inspection?”

“The viscount’s messenger said the princess authorized it,” Gahyeon says. “He has a battalion waiting for you just outside the Hold.”

“Princess Chaewon never mentioned anything like that–”

Hyejoo cuts herself off as an odd sense of déjà vu fills her. She tries to pinpoint where it’s coming from, flipping through her recollections as quickly as possible. She pictures the scene, a company of soldiers stationed outside a castle completely unsolicited, and she _realizes_. 

“Lieutenant, close the gates,” Hyejoo commands. “Do not let the viscount’s troops in under any circumstances. This is an order.”

Despite visible confusion on her face, Gahyeon snaps to attention, no doubt picking up on the urgency in Hyejoo’s voice. 

“Yes, ser!” she salutes before running off in utmost haste. 

Hyejoo likewise abandons the training grounds in a flurry, one person on her mind. A quick inquiry leads her to the conference room all the way on the other side of the Hold, and Hyejoo sprints her way down several long corridors and up two separate flights of stairs in her desperate search for the princess. 

Hyejoo bursts into the room without ceremony, a small handful of gathered aristocrats gasping at the intrusion. 

“Ser Hyejoo?” Chaewon calls out from the head of the table. “Is something the matter?”

Hyejoo ignores her. 

She scans the room, memorizing the few faces present and taking note of all the opened windows lining the walls. A fair breeze blows through the room, not strong enough to disturb the papers scattered across the war table, but enough to rustle the various tapestries and decorative cloths hanging from the ceiling. 

A flash of burgundy. 

Hyejoo launches herself forward. 

Pandemonium erupts and screaming begins when she crashes into a masked assailant creeping along one of the walls. They raise their dagger presumably to stab her, but Hyejoo quickly traps their arm in a death grip while tussling with this assassin. Behind her, shouts can be heard as people flee the room, and out of the corner of her eyes, Hyejoo sees one of Chaewon’s bodyguards cut down a second assassin. 

“Alliance scum!” the first assassin hisses. A lucky kick frees them from Hyejoo’s hold, and they waste no time in making a beeline for Chaewon. 

Hyejoo lunges again. 

This time, she grabs ahold of them by their neck as she tackles them against the closest wall. They grunt, dropping their knife from the impact, but Hyejoo doesn’t relent. With her blood boiling and rage blinding her, Hyejoo wraps her fingers around the throat of Chaewon’s would-be killer and squeezes. 

“Help,” the assassin wheezes. “Help!”

Footsteps approach from behind.

“Ser Hyejoo, it’s safe now. You can let go.”

The voice of Guard Captain Siyeon goes in one ear and out the other. 

“Ser Hyejoo! The princess is safe.”

Good. Now her enemies must pay. 

“Ser, you’re killing them!”

As they deserve for threatening Chaewon. As they deserve for trying to harm her. As they deserve for trying to take hope away, take the future away, take lo–

“Hyejoo.”

The gentlest of touches breaks the knight out of her fury-induced stupor. Hyejoo blinks, her chokehold slackening when she turns to see Chaewon by her side with her hand placed on Hyejoo’s arm. 

“It’s okay now,” Chaewon says softly. “Everyone’s safe. So please, let go.”

“But–”

“You don’t need their blood on your hands.”

Hyejoo releases their enemy, who crumples to the floor in an unconscious heap. Guards promptly drag them away to be imprisoned, but Hyejoo remains rooted in her spot, staring at the empty space where death had been encroaching upon just mere seconds ago. She’s no stranger to snuffing out lives, but something about the past few minutes leaves her frazzled and raw in a way that she’s never experienced before. 

Chaewon. 

Chaewon being here is the difference. 

Comprehending that brings down an array of emotions onto Hyejoo. Ranging from consolation to consternation, they all jumble up inside her and tangle her heartstrings. It’s frightening, Hyejoo thinks, how the price of feeling is to be left so vulnerable and malleable for the person you feel for. Even more disconcerting is how Hyejoo knows without a doubt that she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“Hyejoo, are you okay?”

This was meant to be, wasn’t it, Hyejoo asks herself as she turns to meet those eyes that might as well hold the entire world in them. This was destined, preordained, inevitable. 

Hyejoo was always going to devote her life to Chaewon. 

“I– I’m fine”, Hyejoo answers. “I’m fine,” she tries again when her voice comes out weaker than she’d like. “I’m fine if you are.”

“If you say so,” Chaewon nods before letting out a sigh. “Let’s go somewhere private. I need a break after… whatever that was.”

“Shall we accompany you, Your Highness?” Captain Siyeon offers. 

“No, I have Ser Hyejoo,” Chaewon says as she takes her knight’s hand. “Please secure the Hold and make sure that nobody is hurt.”

“And detain Viscount Jeong,” Hyejoo adds. “He’s just outside the Hold.”

Both of Siyeon’s eyebrows shoot up, but she quickly bows in deference to the decree. 

“As you command, Ser Knight.”

The Guard Captain exits the room, already barking orders to the other men and women of the Hold. The whole castle is still in a bit of an uproar from what just transpired, but Chaewon pays it all no heed as she all but pulls Hyejoo into a secluded courtyard safe from prying eyes. The small royal practically shoves her fiancée onto a stone bench once they've reached their destination. 

“Ser Hyejoo,” Chaewon says seriously. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I wasn’t earlier,” Hyejoo admits. “But I’m okay now. I just lost control for a bit, that’s all.”

“That’s not like you, is it?”

Hyejoo swallows and lowers her head. 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so… violent in front of you–”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Chaewon cuts in. Her frown deepens as she grabs Hyejoo by the cheeks, forcing the knight to look right at her. “You were _shaking_ back there.”

“… I was scared,” Hyejoo confesses, her voice barely louder than a whisper. “I was scared that I wouldn’t make it in time, scared that they would get past me.”

“There’s no way Guard Captain Siyeon would let any harm come to me,” Chaewon reasons with a calming smile. “You recommended her yourself, remember? She and the Royal Guard would have protected me just fine.”

“I know, but…” Hyejoo clenches her fists in her lap, words struggling to come to her. “The thought of something happening to you… I just couldn’t bear it. I’m sorry.”

Chaewon brushes Hyejoo’s hair away from her face.

“Don’t be,” she murmurs. “I’m glad you… care for me. You don’t have to apologize for that. And for all we know, I might have broken a nail or something if you didn’t show up.”

Hyejoo’s lip twitches. 

“The horror,” she says dryly. 

“I don’t know what I would do if that happened,” Chaewon sighs, shoulders drooping for dramatic effect. “My poor knight in shining armor might have to do all my paperwork for me instead.”

“Not happening.”

Chaewon giggles at Hyejoo’s absolutely deadpan tone before her expression softens with concern again. 

“Are you sure you’re okay now–”

“Yes, Princess, I’m fine,” Hyejoo says impatiently. While it’s not the whole truth, she’s eager to move on from this topic and set it behind her. Besides, as the presence of Chaewon’s humor indicates, the princess seems to have come out of the ordeal unscathed in spirit and no worse for wear. That alone gives Hyejoo sufficient peace of mind to focus on the tasks ahead. 

Chaewon seems to be thinking along the same lines as she daintily plops herself on the bench next to Hyejoo. 

”I hope you don’t mind a few questions then,” she says. “Starting with Viscount Jeong: why is he outside our castle?”

“That’s what I want to know,” Hyejoo mutters, a shadow coming over her face. “His messenger said you authorized some inspection of his troops.”

“But I didn’t,” Chaewon points out. “I would have told you if I did.”

“Exactly. So there’s no reason for him to be out there with so many soldiers.” Hyejoo lowers her voice. “The last time I saw something like that was when Sooyoung incited a general to rebel against her sister.”

“Which is how you knew someone was about to come after me,” Chaewon figures out. “If Viscount Jeong was really trying to overthrow me though, why would he use Alliance spies…?”

“I doubt they’re actually from the Alliance,” Hyejoo says, shaking her head. “They might be wearing the Alliance’s colors, but any assassin from the north worth their salt would rather die than be captured.”

“You would know, wouldn’t you?” Chaewon purses her lips. “So fake Alliance assassins sent here to kill the princess… Sounds like the perfect setup for framing you and the other Alliance soldiers stationed here for attempting a hostile takeover.”

“And Viscount Jeong, who just so happens to be in the area, would probably come swooping in once he hears the news, and then he'll liberate the Hold and restore order like some big hero,” Hyejoo snarls, anger rising again. “Treasonous rat.”

“Right? And here I thought I was doing a pretty good job ruling this place,” Chaewon pouts. “It’s funny though…”

“What is?”

“Viscount Jeong used to be my father’s most trusted advisor,” Chaewon sighs. “He even swore to protect me with his life when people tried to kill me to safeguard Jinsol’s right to succession.”

“Wait, really?” Hyejoo falters at this new information.

Chaewon giggles and pats her arm. 

“Don’t worry,” she says. “That was when I was a baby. Things have changed, and I’d trust you over him any day.”

“Well, that’s good,” Hyejoo mumbles. “I mean it sucks that he’s… untrustworthy now, but I do hope I’m not pointing fingers at the wrong person.”

“I don’t think you are,” Chaewon sighs yet again. “His loyalty to the Jung Kingdom used to make him one of our greatest assets, but he never extended that passion to the Jung- _Kim_ Kingdom. He’s been very vocally opposed to allying with the Alliance this entire time as well, so… all of this makes sense, actually.”

“Well, hopefully we can get some testimony out of our newest prisoner,” Hyejoo says before a sudden revelation hits her. “Wait. You didn’t tell me to spare them out of mercy, did you?”

“I was more worried about you in the moment, but you’re not wrong about that,” Chaewon acknowledges. That sharp, shrewd glint that Hyejoo has grown to admire returns to her eyes as she continues, “Dead men tell no tales, as they say. And Guard Captain Siyeon keeps bragging about this interrogation technique she learned from one of Princess Jungeun’s generals… I think it’s about time she gets to test it.”

Whatever Siyeon does to their captive turns out to be extremely effective. The assassin quickly spills their guts all while pleading to be taken away from the Guard Captain and her “assault on my poor ears!” Hyejoo’s speculation that this is no seasoned Alliance spy trained in a cutthroat black market industry is confirmed when they reveal themselves to be just a mere footsoldier in Viscount Jeong’s army with far more greed than subterfuge skills. 

“How insulting of them to not even bother sending a proper assassin,” Chaewon complains a week later during a rare outdoors excursion. She leans forward to feed Aegis a carrot, the stallion unbothered by the weight of two riders. When he gives a happy neigh, Chaewon pats him on the neck before straightening up to resume airing her grievances. “See, even Aegis knows how important I am. And yet Viscount Jeong sent this incompetent buffoon who couldn’t even get inside the Hold without Count Yang’s help.”

Hyejoo rolls her eyes at this mention of the traitor who had been present in the council room during the incident. He had fled the scene as soon as the interlopers he had smuggled in were taken out, though he didn’t get very far thanks to the lockdown of the Hold. Once that failure of an assassin leaked his role in the plot, the count was arrested and tossed into the dungeons.

Good riddance, Hyejoo thinks as she says, “Nobody with half a brain would want to go up against Sooyoung and Jiwoo’s spy network. It was over as soon as they heard about the anonymous request put in for your life. Jeong and Yang probably couldn’t find a single actual assassin willing to take on this job.”

“Still,” Chaewon whines, resting her back against Hyejoo as they ride past a field. “They could have tried harder, don’t you think? If it was me, I would have bribed some of the Hold’s servants or something.”

“They’re obviously not as smart as you,” Hyejoo points out wryly. “And besides, everybody here likes you too much to betray you. Even Aegis likes you more than he likes me.”

“That’s because I give him plenty of treats, unlike somebody.”

“He’s a warhorse. He has a diet to maintain. You’re spoiling him.”

“And you’re stingy,” Chaewon retorts. She sticks out her tongue over her shoulder. “I hope you won’t be this mean to our own children.”

Hyejoo nearly loses her grip on the reins. 

“Our _what_.”

“Our children, Ser Hyejoo,” Chaewon repeats innocently. “You know, the ones we’re going to have someday?”

“I– We–”

“It’s okay.” Chaewon pats Hyejoo’s arm in a manner reminiscent of how she patted Aegis mere minutes ago. “We can wait until you’re ready.”

“Thanks,” Hyejoo says weakly. “How very considerate of you, Princess.”

Chaewon laughs, the sound filling Hyejoo with contentment despite the fact that she just got metaphorically slapped with something she hasn’t considered before. If marriage had been unthinkable years ago, the concept of having children was even further out of reach, and yet Hyejoo finds herself entertaining the thought just because Chaewon jokingly mentioned it. 

A tiny Chaewon, running about… Would she have Hyejoo’s eyes, perhaps? Maybe her mouth? Her inclination towards animals? Her stubbornness? She’d hopefully inherit Chaewon’s wit and charm, and just imagining all these possibilities has Hyejoo smiling to herself, eager to see what the future holds. 

Of course, life is not kind enough to simply let her reach that far-off reality without a struggle. It sends a galloping rider in her direction, dragging Hyejoo out of her daydream as she dismounts and grabs her halberd. 

“Stay behind me,” Hyejoo says as she takes up a defensive position in front of Aegis. 

The rider approaches. 

Chaewon identifies her first. 

“Isn’t that Squire Yerim?” she asks, a note of worry entering her voice. “What is she doing all the way over here…?”

“Your Highness! Ser Knight!” Yerim calls out once she’s within earshot. “Official orders from Eclipse Palace!”

“Official orders?” Hyejoo echoes. Behind her, Chaewon gasps. 

Yerim comes right up to the duo and nearly takes a tumble when she leaps off her horse. 

“Ack, my foot!” she exclaims while trying to dislodge herself from the stirrup she got caught on. A few forceful pulls later and she’s free, the squire wiping her brow with a ‘whew’ before clearing her throat loudly. “I bring word directly from the princesses!” she announces. “They said– Well, here. You can see for yourselves.”

Yerim hands over a scroll. 

Hyejoo unfurls it. 

_By royal decree of Crown Princess Jinsol and Crown Princess Jungeun of the Jung-Kim Kingdom:_

_The Jung-Kim Kingdom and the Eden Alliance shall hereby launch a joint attack on the regent of the Jo Empire._

_Artioso Hold is to mobilize all troops at once._

_Knight Hyejoo shall lead them to war._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we're winding down to the end, dun dun dun...
> 
> twitter.com/adlerklasse
> 
> curiouscat.me/adlerklasse


	4. A New Dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was written as a Secret Santa gift for the amazing artist @reisnassance / @melanchaewolic over on twitter. I hope you enjoyed this fic even if I got carried away writing it LMAO
> 
> Same goes to all you other readers! Thank you for coming this far, and I hope you all enjoy the final chapter of Dusk Till Dawn. As always, I would love to know your thoughts below, but first: here is the chapter itself.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing people off.”

Hyejoo looks into the mirror to see Chaewon standing behind her, the princess meticulously adjusting the leather strap of Hyejoo’s shoulder guard. She tightens it, then loosens it, then tightens it, then loosens it, and Hyejoo starts to wonder if she’ll ever be satisfied with her work. Probably not, Hyejoo figures when Chaewon begins to tinker with one of the buckles holding her armor together. 

“It’s not exactly a good thing to get used to,” Hyejoo says as she watches Chaewon’s tongue stick out in concentration. Chuckling internally at the sight, she’s fine with letting her betrothed do as she pleases even if her actions won’t really amount to anything. Any excuse to stay just a bit longer with Chaewon is one Hyejoo is willing to take. 

After all, who knows when they’ll next see each other? 

“I think I cried the first time Jinsol had to leave to go fight the Kim Kingdom,” Chaewon muses, now moving on to rubbing off some imagined smudge on Hyejoo’s chestplate. “Like actual, full-on sobbing.”

Hyejoo looks down at her.

“Please don’t start sobbing now.”

“I won’t,” Chaewon pouts. “That was years ago. I’d like to think I’m more mature now.”

“Would be sad if you weren’t,” Hyejoo notes, the sides of her mouth lifting upwards. “I won’t mind a tear or two though. At least that way I know you’ll miss me.”

“I already miss you, stupid,” Chaewon huffs. She glares up at Hyejoo, though the intensity of her anger is ruined by how her lower lip is still jutting out. “I hope you know that I’ll be right here waiting, counting the days until you come back.” 

“Sooyoung once had a book that asked about that,” Hyejoo recalls, a distant memory triggered by Chaewon’s words. “It said something like… ‘Is it more painful to wait? Or is it more painful to keep someone waiting?’”

“... What was the answer?”

“‘There’s no need to wait anymore. That’s what is most painful.’”

Slowly, contemplatively, Chaewon moves to pick up Hyejoo’s helm. She stares at it, deep in thought.

And then she bonks Hyejoo on the head with it. 

“Ow!” Hyejoo yelps, cringing as she clutches her skull. “What the hell was that for?”

“For being such a downer,” Chaewon says stubbornly. “Did you really have to say something so depressing right now?”

“I was just quoting the book,” Hyejoo protests. “I didn’t mean like… You know I’ll come back to you no matter what.”

“You’d better,” Chaewon warns. “The only way I’ll ever stop waiting is when I see you right in front of me, safe and sound.”

“Your wish is my command,” Hyejoo says grandly. “But–”

“No buts!”

Chaewon promptly shoves Hyejoo’s helmet onto her, cutting off any further arguments. It sits askew, obscuring Hyejoo’s vision as she hears her fiancée give a small ‘hmph.’ The knight moves to readjust it, but a tug on her arms stops her. 

“... I can’t see.”

“Let me fix it.”

Fragments of light dance across Hyejoo’s eyes as her helm is moved left and right. She catches a glimpse of Chaewon’s face every now and then like the fleeting glimmer of a distant star until Chaewon blocks her view with her hand.

“Do you trust me?” the princess asks quietly.

Hyejoo blinks in the darkness.

“Of course.”

“Don’t move, okay?”

Hyejoo obliges, standing still as Chaewon shifts in front of her. She hears a rustle of fabric, a faint inhale, and then she feels it: a gentle push against her mouth.

That slight pressure vanishes before Hyejoo can fully process what it is. She’s left staring blankly as her sight returns to her just in time for her to witness Chaewon stepping away. 

“Stay safe,” the princess whispers with a sad smile. 

“I will,” her knight vows. 

Once again, Hyejoo leaves. 

The thundering of hooves follows her the entire way as she leads a combined Kingdom-Alliance army of cavalry on an expedited march southwards. They travel without delay, joining up with a regiment of Empire soldiers to inflate their ranks as they aim straight for the treasonous regent. To Hyejoo’s surprise, these imperial reinforcements are commanded by someone younger and significantly smaller than her. 

“Don’t underestimate me,” Squire Yeojin says, determination blazing in her eyes as she convenes with Hyejoo during a stop to make camp for the night. “I’m General Hyunjin’s number one fighter, and I was handpicked by Empress Haseul herself!”

“Uh, right,” Hyejoo nods. 

“I’m going to do my part in saving the Empire,” Yeojin declares, either accidentally or intentionally ignoring Hyejoo’s awkwardness from being around such an exuberant stranger. “Don’t think I’m going to let you take all the glory!”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“I’m going to be the one to defeat the regent!”

“Go for it.”

“I’ll become the hero of this war in honor of Empress Haseul!”

“Good luck with that.”

“Just watch, I’ll take down more enemies than even you!”

“... Tch, you can try.”

Squire Yeojin does turn out to be quite the contender. She soon proves herself worthy of being a fellow commander and comrade-in-arms as she and Hyejoo capture stronghold after stronghold on their way to their true objective. Anything Yeojin lacks in terms of pure combat prowess, she makes up for through her unrivaled loyalty and dedication to her liege, something that inspires the men and women under her leadership. Her zeal spurs Hyejoo to fight harder too, for she also has people counting on her triumphant return. 

Plus, Hyejoo doesn’t plan on having to explain to her future wife about how a squire outclassed her in battle. 

Their joint forces reach the regent’s final garrison in record time. Aware of what’s at stake with countless other battles erupting across the land, Hyejoo wastes no time in surrounding the supposedly impenetrable Vay Fortress. 

“General Hyunjin said that this place was built centuries ago,” Yeojin informs her, an unusually grim expression on her face. “Not a single army has been able to breach its walls since.”

“Not a _single_ army, huh?” Hyejoo raises her hand. “Good thing we brought three.”

They storm through the gates together in just over two weeks.

Although their trebuchets never manage to do much more beyond chipping off chunks of Vay Fortress’s exterior, their relentless assault on the base wears away at the morale of those trapped inside. Much like the Siege of Artioso Hold, Hyejoo and her allies don’t let anyone escape, though they deliberately allow a few couriers to slip through and deliver news of Empress Haseul and Queen Jiwoo’s victories in the east. When word breaks out that General Hyunjin and Princess Jinsol have successfully seized the central plains and are advancing on Vay Fortress, a squadron of the regent’s followers lose hope and defect, opening the gates for their attackers.

Yeojin charges first. 

She bursts into the main castle of Vay Fortress with a rousing yell, shaking her lance furiously as troops pour in behind her.

“For the Empire!”

“For the Kingdom!” Lieutenant Gahyeon proclaims with equal fervor.

Hyejoo tunes them both out. She concentrates on taking down the fanatical traitors still trying to make their last stand; they’re dangerous in their desperation to cling to the remaining vestiges of this stolen regime, and many single her out as a high priority target in a do-or-die bid to turn the tides. They fail to defeat her, of course, and Hyejoo is once more surrounded by the color red.

A face flashes in her mind, and Hyejoo finds herself praying for this to be the last time she has to take so many lives.

Swing after swing, slash after slash, Hyejoo delivers death to all her challengers. Like a hurricane that refuses to abate, a seemingly endless wave of infantry rush her. They barely give her time to breathe, let alone think, and all she can do is rely on pure instinct and years of experience to protect her as she carves her way forward. 

“You’ve come far enough, Demon of the North!” 

Hyejoo cuts down a pikeman before looking up to see a knight standing defiantly in front of her. Half a dozen other men and women flank this newcomer, and the quality of their armor makes it clear that they’re far above the fodder from earlier. Their weapons are clean compared to Hyejoo’s scarlet-soaked blade, and Hyejoo realizes with dismay that this can only mean that they haven’t fought anyone yet and thus have all the energy in the world to use against her.

As soon as she completes that thought, they attack. 

Hyejoo immediately retreats. She seeks out the nearest wall, backing up against it so that her foes can’t surround her from all sides. Although that does indeed protect her rear, the drawback comes in the form of a concentrated frontal assault that traps Hyejoo and keeps her on the defensive. A shower of strikes rain down upon her, and for once, Hyejoo finds herself truly struggling. 

It’s too much. 

Even so, Hyejoo remains calm. 

If this is to be the end– 

No. 

This won’t be the end. It _can’t_ be, not with so much on the line and so much left unfinished. There are things Hyejoo hasn’t done yet, things she hasn’t said, and above all, there’s a promise she cannot break. 

“I will not die here,” Hyejoo snarls, her spirit reignited by her resolution. She pushes past any fatigue she feels, shoving it all to the back of her mind as she continues to fight on despite being outnumbered. 

One, two, three, four, five… The regent’s finest knights slowly fall one after the other. By the time Hyejoo takes down the sixth, her arms have gone numb from exertion and her armor has taken multiple heavy hits. Even her halberd has earned several chips and dents from the constant clashing of metal against metal as Hyejoo parries blow after blow, and something tells her that this battle is about to reach its conclusion. 

Her final opponent seems to share this sentiment when they back away for a quick moment to speak. 

“If I’m going down,” the knight pants. “You’re going down with me.”

Hyejoo doesn’t bother coming up with a retort. Instead, she uses this millisecond of an opportunity to gather all the last remaining power she can muster. Eyeing her enemy’s equally battered sword, she suddenly swings. 

The sword snaps. 

It shatters at the point of impact, its blade unable to withstand the brutal force applied to the largest crack along its edge. The top half goes sailing through the air, spinning like a top, and Hyejoo doesn’t waste a second.

The fragment of the knight’s sword hits the ground at the same exact moment their body does.

Hyejoo takes a deep breath. 

And then she continues onwards in her pursuit of a better future. 

The war ends in the heart of Vay Fortress.

As anticipated, Yeojin is indeed the one to put a stop to the regent. Hyejoo comes across them in the great hall, the young squire standing over an unconscious body with her lance poised to deal the final blow.

“She doesn’t deserve mercy,” Yeojin states, and Hyejoo gets the inkling that she’s speaking to herself. “She’s done so much harm to the Empire, to Haseul…”

Her spear shakes, and Hyejoo moves forward.

“It’s over,” she says firmly, blocking Yeojin’s weapon with her halberd. “She may not deserve mercy, but she can still face justice.”

Yeojin lowers her head and puts down her arms.

“Thanks for not letting my squire kill the regent,” General Hyunjin says a few days later once her unit makes it to Vay Fortress. “She looked after us, once upon a time. I know Yeojin still remembers those days when the regent was just ‘Haseul’s aunt’ and nothing more.”

“People change,” Hyejoo murmurs. 

“You’re the expert on that, aren’t you?” 

“... Excuse me?”

Hyunjin smirks.

“How does it feel, going from being known as the Demon of the North to being known as the Rosy Knight?”

“ _Excuse me?_ ”

“You can thank Scarlet Silk for that,” Hyunjin chuckles. “ _The Princess and the Black Knight_ is a very popular ballad here in the south.”

Hyejoo’s eyes narrow.

“I don’t see where the rosy part comes in,” she mutters. “And I don’t think I want to know.”

Hyunjin tells her anyway.

“You earn the title of the Rosy Knight after you oh so valiantly save Princess Chaewon from the pirate lord that kidnapped her, slaying the monstrous kraken dwelling on the Isle of Roses as you do so,” the general says, sweeping her arm across the air as she recounts fantastical events that definitely never happened. “Bard Seungwan sings a series of high notes that I’ve been practici–”

“Okay! Back to work!” Hyejoo interrupts loudly. For the sake of her sanity, she throws decorum out the window and physically drags Hyunjin into their next meeting before she’s subject to further torture and embarrassment. 

It takes a while for things to settle down. As the official representative for the Eden Alliance and the not so official delegate of the Jung-Kim Kingdom, Hyejoo begrudgingly works with General Hyunjin in reestablishing order in Vay Fortress and its surrounding territories. They also begin laying the foundations for a more long term collaboration between their nations along with mutually signing a formal nonaggression pact. 

Hints of eccentricity and an excess passion for culture aside, General Hyunjin is quite the stateswoman and strategist. Like Yeojin, she works with an intense care towards her country and an eagerness to help it heal. It’s ultimately thanks to her that negotiations are wrapped up faster than anyone expects, thus freeing Hyejoo to return to Artioso Hold. 

It’s also thanks to Hyunjin that Hyejoo is delayed on her day of departure. 

“Why are you and half the imperial army out here picking flowers instead of packing your things?” Hyejoo grouses when she finds Hyunjin in a random field of all places. “I was going to leave without saying goodbye, but apparently that’s ‘diplomatically rude’ according to your squire.”

“She’ll be knighted once we get back to Kel Citadel,” Hyunjin says absentmindedly. She runs her hands through a bush, examining the small blossoms growing on it before she explains, “We have a tradition here in the Empire. Or a superstition, I guess. Pick a flower before the march home, and if it survives the entire way, give it to someone you care about to tie your destinies closer together.”

“Huh.”

Hyejoo stares. 

And then she begins searching. 

When Hyejoo and the troops under her charge finally, finally, _finally_ return to Artioso Hold, it’s to great fanfare and acclaim. They’re welcomed as heroes for their role in this short-lived conflict, and civilians flock to the streets to sing their praise. What was meant to be a simple procession back to the barracks turns into an actual parade complete with blaring music and roses being tossed into the air every step of the way back to the castle. Although this winds up pushing back Hyejoo’s time of arrival even further, she finds it hard to mind this additional hold up. Her subordinates do deserve to be celebrated, after all, and she understands that the masses are overjoyed to know that they won’t be losing any more brothers and sisters in a protracted, drawn out war. 

Even so, Hyejoo finds it harder and harder to contain herself the closer she gets to the Hold’s main castle. Subconsciously tilting her head to avoid yet another thrown rose, she grips Aegis’s reins tightly to fight the anticipation swirling in her gut. Anxiety and excitement duke it out inside her chest, the latter winning over the former in the end when Hyejoo can’t fight the smile that comes to her when she thinks about being able to see _her_ again at long last. 

Hyejoo is only vaguely aware of Lieutenant Gahyeon and her other comrades peeling away from her as she continues riding forward. There’s only one person on her mind, only one person that matters, and the world slows down as a familiar figure comes into view.

There she stands, the one who took Hyejoo’s heart and gave it a place to rest.

Chaewon.

Time resumes its incessant, ineluctable flow as Hyejoo dismounts to stand in front of her betrothed. A hush descends on the crowd surrounding them, and Hyejoo would be worried by the carefully neutral expression on Chaewon’s face were it not for the warm tenderness of her gaze. 

“Ser Knight,” Chaewon greets. “You have returned.”

“Princess.” Hyejoo sinks to one knee. “I bring back victory in your honor.”

“And you have brought Artioso Hold much glory as well,” Chaewon says, pride seeping into her voice. “Rise, Ser Hyejoo, for you have more than earned your future crown.”

Her words are met with cheering, and the feeling of belonging swells inside of Hyejoo. It lifts her as she stands with a grin, and even Chaewon is unable to hide her true smile any longer. 

“I missed you,” the princess whispers in a voice that’s meant for Hyejoo’s ears alone. 

“I missed you too,” Hyejoo murmurs. “And I, uh, brought you a little gift.”

She rummages through the satchel on her waist, careful to not jostle anything as her fingers wrap around a small vial. Pulling it out with great attentiveness so as to not spill the water contained within, Hyejoo holds it up to the sun to examine the flowers resting inside. Daylight caresses purple blossoms that have retained their vibrancy despite the long journey here, and a relieved Hyejoo hands them over. 

“Squire Yeojin told me these are called… heliotropes?” Hyejoo grimaces. “I’m not sure what they symbolize. I just chose them because they reminded me of you.”

“Oh?” Chaewon accepts the flowers, now smiling shyly as she looks up at Hyejoo. A coy twinkle enters her eyes as she asks, “How so, Ser Hyejoo?”

“They’re pretty,” Hyejoo states with pure honesty. She can’t resist the urge to smirk when she deliberately takes a step forward, however. “They’re beautiful. Just like you, Princess.”

Chaewon’s ensuing laugh is happy and bright to the point of dazzling. It envelops Hyejoo, embracing her as it fills her soul, and Hyejoo never wants to go another day without it. 

“If I recall correctly, the heliotrope has two primary meanings,” Chaewon says once her mirth has subsided. “The first is devotion.”

“... And the second?”

“Eternal love.”

Any reply that Hyejoo is able to formulate dies in her throat when Chaewon abruptly stands on her tiptoes to look Hyejoo directly in the face. There’s only a fraction of a second for Hyejoo to register this sudden proximity before something incredibly soft brushes against the corner of her lips. 

A kiss. 

Artioso Hold promptly breaks out into a chorus of delighted cheers, hoots, and whistles. There’s some crying as well for some peculiar reason, though none of that matters. 

None of that matters as Chaewon ducks her head, hiding an adorable blush behind her flowers. None of that matters as she holds out her free hand in a wordless question. None of that matters as Hyejoo answers her by entwining their fingers, and none of that matters as the two of them walk together towards tomorrow.

* * *

“You know, when I once said that your wedding was going to be historical, I didn’t mean _this_ historical.”

Hyejoo snorts.

“Tell me about it,” she says dryly as she waltzes with Sooyoung in the middle of Haen Castle’s massive ballroom. 

The entire palace has been decorated lavishly in a theme of ocean green and silver, Chaewon’s choice after Sooyoung and Jinsol still couldn’t reach an agreement after months of arguing, and an entire spectrum of colors whirls inside the grandest hall as guests take to dancing to celebrate the long awaited union between princess and knight. It was way overdue, as some complained, for their marriage had been pushed back first to give the Lunar Agreement precedence, then again to serve as commemoration for the successful allyship between three countries. Now, after many months, citizens of the Jo Empire, Jung-Kim Kingdom, and Eden Alliance are finally able to gather in the north for the sake of attending the wedding that should have happened long ago.

“When Jiwoo and I first came up with the idea of you marrying Chaewon, we did it for the sake of securing Artioso Hold for the Alliance,” Sooyoung chuckles. “Who knew this would turn into somehow bringing peace to everything west of the Bylo mountains?”

“You all better make this last,” Hyejoo warns with a glare. “I waited so long for this stupid wedding, so if you six with the biggest crowns screw things up and start another war, I’m going to declare independence and kick your butts.”

“Oooh, making big plans already as the Princess Consort of Artioso Hold, huh?” Sooyoung teases. She squeezes Hyejoo’s hand appeasingly when the knight’s glower intensifies. “Trust me, more bloodshed is the last thing on our minds. And we do feel bad, you know, for making you and Chaewon wait so long.”

“We almost considered eloping,” Hyejoo grumbles, the sides of her mouth rising when she hears a scandalized gasp.

“You two, eloping right under our noses!?” Sooyoung’s eyes are wide, and she almost looks as though she’s about to pass out from sheer outrage. “Never! Jinsol and I would never let that happen!”

“And who would stop us, huh?” Hyejoo challenges. “For all you know, Chaewon and I could have already secretly gone to some chapel and–”

“Noooo!” Sooyoung wails, and Hyejoo has to hiss at her to get her to quiet down before they attract more attention. “You didn’t really, did you?”

“Of course not,” Hyejoo sighs fondly. “I mean we did think about it—Oi, be quiet—We considered it, but we figured it wasn’t worth it without our families there.”

Step by step, Sooyoung brings their shared dance to a slow, followed by a full stop. She basically freezes there in that sea of suits and gowns, hands gripping Hyejoo’s tightly as wetness starts to fill her eyes.

“When you say ‘our families’...” Sooyoung begins, voice thick with emotion. “Do you mean…”

“You and Jiwoo?” Hyejoo grins. “Yeah. Who else would I be talking about?”

The High Queen of the Eden Alliance lets out an annoyingly loud sniff. 

“I– I need a moment,” she says, pulling out a handkerchief to dab at her eyes. She separates from Hyejoo only to push her towards the crowd of dancing bodies. “G– Go save your w– wife. I need to tell Jiwoo that you called us your f– family. I can’t believe… Oh my god...”

Hyejoo cackles to herself as she watches Sooyoung stumble away. The older woman makes her way back to the head table where Jiwoo is sitting and comforting a sobbing Princess Jungeun, who pauses with her waterworks to point and laugh at Sooyoung’s weepy face. The sight is both hilarious and heartwarming, and Hyejoo pats herself on the back for being forthcoming with her feelings as she goes to “save” her spouse as instructed.

Fortunately, it doesn’t look like Chaewon needs much rescuing anymore. She seems to have somehow escaped her sister, who had been hogging her for the past seven dances or so. Princess Jinsol had been staring pointedly at anyone who so much as looked at Chaewon for too long, warding off any potential intruders with her eyes, until Empress Consort Kahei presumably intervened. She’s the one waltzing with Jinsol now as General Hyunjin and Empress Haseul cheer them on from the side.

Meanwhile, Chaewon is nowhere to be seen.

Hyejoo sweeps the floor for her, dodging elbows and arms while she navigates the throng surrounding her. She passes General Yubin, Commander Gahyeon, Prime Minister Heejin, Guard Captain Siyeon, and other familiar faces as she goes, but none of them are the one she’s looking for. She’s not fussed though, for it’s only a matter of time; she knows she’ll be with Chaewon again sooner or later. Hyejoo’s existence practically gravitates towards her, a fact that’s proven when her feet start to carry her in the right direction without her even knowing it.

Hyejoo’s stomach does a happy swoop when she spots the person she’s willingly bound to for life. 

Clearing her throat, Hyejoo taps Chaewon on the shoulder.

“Princess. May I have this dance?”

The jewels adorning Chaewon’s hair glitter like stars as she turns around to face her wife. Pretty as they are, they cannot compare to the brilliance of her smile. Even the sun is eclipsed and overshadowed by Chaewon’s radiance, and not for the first time, Hyejoo’s breath is taken away as Chaewon beams at her.

“Of course you may, Princess Consort,” Chaewon giggles before scrunching her nose. “Ugh, why is your royal title such a mouthful?”

“It’s only two more syllables than yours,” Hyejoo points out as Chaewon takes her hand. Affection floods her when their hands easily slot together like a sword returning to its scabbard, and she indulges the giddiness flowing inside her by pulling Chaewon closer despite all the people no doubt watching them. “I think it’s way better than the Rosy Ruler of the Seas or whatever it was, but feel free to call me whatever you’d like.”

“Hm… What about ‘prince’? You would make quite the dashing, gallant prince,” Chaewon suggests. Something mischievous flashes in her gaze as she likewise takes a step closer to Hyejoo. “I do have another idea though. Maybe I’ll just call you mine.”

“Ew, newlyweds,” Knight Yeojin pretends to gag as she twirls by with Squire Yerim. Hyejoo tries and fails to trip her. 

“It’s true though,” Hyejoo acknowledges when she returns her attention to where it should be. Lowering her voice, she leans forward and rests her forehead against Chaewon’s. “I am yours. And I have been for a long time.”

“I am so glad you came into my life,” Chaewon whispers back. “Even if we didn’t meet under the best of circumstances, to have you with me right here, right now…”

She trails off when a sudden rush of sentimentality threatens to overwhelm her, and Hyejoo gently bumps their noses together to comfort her.

“Don’t forget, we’re stuck with each other for life now,” Hyejoo reminds Chaewon softly. “We just made a vow in front of all these people that we’ll always be together no matter what.”

“I know, it’s just…” Chaewon pulls back ever so slightly, and when she looks at her knight, it’s with nothing but love in her eyes. “You’ve come so far, Hyejoo.”

“… I have, haven’t it?” Hyejoo says hoarsely. She smiles through the tears that have started to well up. “Almost feels like I came all this way because of you.”

Chaewon playfully hits her shoulder before reaching up to place her hand on Hyejoo’s cheek.

“You came all this way because of yourself,” the princess states in a tone that brooks no argument. “You should be proud of that. And no matter where you choose to go now, I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“Even if I run off to the mountains and abandon the throne?” Hyejoo jokes.

“ _Especially_ if you run off to the mountains and abandon the throne.”

Hyejoo laughs and places her hand over Chaewon’s. She turns her head to briefly press her lips against Chaewon’s fingers, and the rest of the world falls away as she gathers her feelings into three words that could never truly convey the depths of her heart.

“I love you,” Hyejoo says.

Chaewon answers her with a kiss.

* * *

Up, right, down, down, left, left, up, up, right, down…

Hyejojo operates a switch on the back of a statue with practiced ease. It’s almost instinct to her by this point, having done it dozens of times, and it’s only a matter of seconds before there’s a click followed by the rasp of stone against stone as a passage into darkness is revealed. The ocean beckons from beyond it through both scent and sound, and Hyejoo heeds that call as she moves forward. Shadows swallow her for a minute until sunlight and a cool breeze greet her in the open air.

Hyejoo takes in a deep breath before proceeding onwards.

She paces herself, telling herself to not rush as she treads down well-worn stairs. Although it’s unlikely that she’d stumble on such a familiar path, it would still be rather embarrassing if she did somehow lose her footing and come tumbling down as a heap of uncoordinated limbs. That sort of humiliation is better off reserved for her current guests at Artioso Hold.

Hyejoo spies one of said guests sitting at the final step leading to the ocean. She nudges her with her foot.

“Oh my god!” Jiwoo screams as she nearly falls over. 

Hyejoo rolls her eyes.

“I didn’t even push you that hard,” she says. 

“Yeah, but you nearly gave me a heart attack,” Jiwoo protests before jumping to her feet and tackling the taller woman. “Anyways, you’re finally here! I missed you so much!”

“I was only gone for the morning–”

“Doesn’t matter!”

“You can blame those imperial idiots then,” Hyejoo sighs with fond exasperation. “Our new highway system isn’t even that complicated, and yet Haseul insisted on an escort so they wouldn’t get lost.”

“Aww, I think she and the rest of our friends just wanted to spend some extra time with you,” Jiwoo suggests, ever the optimist. “I know Sooyoung does, except, well…”

Hyejoo looks past Jiwoo to scan the beach behind her, lifting an eyebrow when she only sees Jungeun there. The Queen of the Jung-Kim Kingdom stands alone, hands planted on her hips as she watches two children play in the sand, no other royal to be found. 

“Where is she?” Hyejoo asks. “And where’s Jinsol…?”

“They’re borrowing your throne room,” Jiwoo says with a pout. “They’re currently holding a debate on whose daughter is hitting on whose.”

“... Your kids are _three_.”

“Yeah…”

Hyejoo shakes her head and pinches the bridge of her nose.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to go find my wife so we can evict those two–”

“Waaait!” Jiwoo cuts in loudly, grabbing Hyejoo’s elbow before she can begin to make the trek back to Artioso Hold. “Chaewon’s here! She’s just a bit further down the shore. The children sent her to go find more seashells.”

“Why didn’t they send you?”

Jiwoo’s pout deepens.

“They said Auntie Chaewon picks the prettiest ones because she’s the prettiest,” she explains as she crosses her arms. “Hmph.”

“Well, they’re not wrong,” Hyejoo smirks. “Everyone knows Chaewon is the fairest in all the lands.”

“Ugh, go away,” Jiwoo whines. She shoves Hyejoo in a random direction. “Go flatter her to her face, not to me!”

Hyejoo snickers as she complies with the demand, taking a small detour to say hello to Jungeun and the next generation as she passes by them. Waves almost reach her feet as she follows the shoreline, but she ceases to mind when she sees a certain someone just a ways ahead of her. 

Hyejoo charges. 

“Boo!” she shouts as she grabs her wife from behind.

“Ah!”

Chaewon lets out a yelp as she loses balance from the unexpected force applied to her. Fortunately, the arms around her keep her safe, and the princess goes from screaming to glaring as she turns around to face her knight. 

“Geez, did you have to do that?” Chaewon complains. “What if I punched you or something?”

“Tch, like you would ever hurt me seriously,” Hyejoo scoffs. “I don’t think you even _can_.”

“Try saying that again when I have a knife in my hands,” Chaewon threatens. 

Her faux anger quickly crumbles when faced with a barrage of kisses. Hyejoo shamelessly showers Chaewon with affection, repeatedly pecking her lips and cheeks partly to apologize but mostly just to satisfy her own whims. Chaewon does make a half-hearted attempt to protest, but it’s more for show than anything as she giggles and does her best to return Hyejoo’s love. 

“Welcome back,” Chaewon laughs, the melody of her voice surrounding Hyejoo’s heart. 

Hyejoo grins. 

“I’m home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter.com/adlerklasse
> 
> curiouscat.me/adlerklasse


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